Metamorphasis
by ihadanepiphany
Summary: A family curse and Rons lifelong streak of bad luck. You do the math. This is good! There is no need to avoid it like the plague! I need the reviews, come on people!
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and his ilk do not belong to me. J.K. Rowling only. Make no money. Sue me you will not!  
  
NAME: ihadanepiphany  
  
Was given a challenge by my best friend, whom I cursed seven ways from sundown when I read it, but she didn't beat me! I wrote it, some! Warning, can see this version becoming an angsty fic. Sorry. If asked nicely will write much funnier version.  
  
Author out.  
  
Enjoy!  
  
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The young witch searched through the stacks of books around her, angrily pushing her vivid red hair from her face. The small light lent by her wand was enough and none escaped the library to show her presence. For hours she sought in vain, until at last, when the eastern horizon was paling, she found it. She read the spell several times, memorising it, then slamming the book and sweeping out of the library.  
  
Single-minded in her rage and grief, she didn't notice a small shadow detach itself from the house and follow her.  
  
Crossing bogs, jumping streams and climbing walls she trudged on her journey. She could have brought her broomstick, but she wasn't suicidal, just in a complete and utter total rage.  
  
The shadow stopped under a large and ancient oak tree as the witch strode up to a small Muggle cottage. He knew who lived there and why she was there, what he was worried about was what she was going to do.  
  
The witch rapped on the door and waited for it to open. A young man opened it, blinking in the dawn sunshine, and stopped when he saw her.  
  
'Cait,' he said. 'What are you doing here?' The Muggle was nervous, as well he should have been.  
  
'What?' Cait asked. 'Did you really think that I'd never come around? That I'd leave, just like that? Huh Liam?' She shook her head, as if amused. 'I don't think so.' She pulled her wand out of her pocket and pointed it straight at him. 'I'm gonna enjoy this.'  
  
The wizard under the tree ran forward, pulling free his own wand.  
  
'Cait, don't!' Cait kept her eyes on Liam.  
  
'Oh and you're gonna stop me Alfred?'  
  
'If I have to.' He paused, still pointing his wand at her. 'What are you planning on doing?'  
  
'I haven't decided yet,' she lied smoothly. 'What fun I will have experimenting.' She cast a look towards her brother. 'Don't worry Alf, I wont do the Unforgiveables. He's not worth Azkaban.' Alfreds' eye flicked to Liam, the Muggle looked remarkably calm, given his situation.  
  
'You'll go to Azkaban if you do anything to him, you know that,' he said, trying to make her see sense. 'He's not worth it.'  
  
'He's worth part of it,' Cait replied. 'The rest he gets on credit.'  
  
'Cait, he's not worth it, at least pat of you knows that.'  
  
'You just don't get it, do you Alf?' Cait sighed, the wand still held steady, pointing straight at Liams heart. 'This, Muggle,' she spat. 'Told me he'd love me no matter what happened. I had a child by him, our child!' she cried, stabbing the air with her wand. 'And as soon as I finally tell him that I'm a witch, he leaves.' She was sobbing now, the wand shaking erratically. 'He walks out on his wife and son, because I'm a witch and he cant handle it.'  
  
'Which puts him in the ridiculously stupid category but not as someone who deserves whatever you're planning.' He shuddered inwardly, remembering the spectacular plans Cait used to make against people who wronged her as a child. Noone deserved that. 'Come home, there are toads and gnomes you can take in out on.'  
  
'Thanks Alf, but I got a toad right here.' She had stopped crying, and now stared at her husband with cold eyes. Alfred got a chilling sense of foreboding.  
  
'Cait,' he began.  
  
'Alfred,' she said. 'You might want to move. Transformicous femme!' she shouted suddenly. A green flash came out of the end of her wand, heading straight for Liams unprotected chest….  
  
  
  
'And? What happened then?' a bright-eyed Harry asked. Ron grinned at his friends' expression, then shrugged.  
  
'Alfred jumped in to save the day and got hit, bit of a fool thing to do really.'  
  
'What did the spell do?' Hermione asked. Ron suddenly became very interested in a splinter of wood in the table. They were at the Burrow, sitting at the kitchen table. It was the last week of the holidays and Mr and Mrs Weasley had invited Harry and Hermione to stay for it. Since Percy had moved out, they had enough room to fit them both in.  
  
'It, er, um, kinda, turned his viewpoint around,' Ron rather badly explained. Harry and Hermione stared blankly. 'If you must know it turned him, female.'  
  
'Female,' Harry repeated.  
  
'Yeah.'  
  
'Just the body or the whole deal.'  
  
'The works.'  
  
'Ah.'  
  
'Yep.'  
  
'Why do I get the feeling that you're not telling us everything?' Hermione asked.  
  
'I don't know?' Ron tried. Hermione raised an eyebrow. 'Oh, alright. The spell isn't, er, wasn't just a one-time spell.'  
  
'I just got lost,' Harry stated.  
  
'He means it reoccurs by itself,' Hermione explained. 'How often?'  
  
'How am I supposed to know?'  
  
'I was asking Ron.'  
  
'Once a generation,' Ron admitted.  
  
'And this spell, it's been repeating every generation?' Hermione asked slowly. Ron nodded, turning as red as his hair. Harry stared at his friend as realization dawned. 'And it's been affecting which member of the family?'  
  
'The youngest son,' Ron muttered.  
  
'Which means, you're going to turn into a woman?' Ron cringed but nodded. 'When?'  
  
'In the next week.'  
  
'Ah.'  
  
'Yep.'  
  
'Er, sorry dude,' Harry offered lamely. 'Been nice knowing ya?'  
  
'Harry!' Hermione snapped. 'This isn't just it, there has to be some kind of counter-spell.'  
  
'We've looked,' Ron said flatly. 'For the last seven generations. There is no counter-spell, no reducing tonic, no potion to make it reverse. Once it happens, I'm stuck. Bye, bye Ron, hello whoever.'  
  
'Whoever?' Harry asked, baffled.  
  
'When, it happens, the, female has a whole life of her own. Own name, past history, even a brand new House in Hogwarts usually.'  
  
'No way,' Harry gasped. 'But wouldn't she be, you? Just from a female point of view?' Ron shook his flame-coloured head.  
  
'Nope, it's gonna be somebody completely different.'  
  
The three friends sat in stunned silence for a while.  
  
'So what now?' Harry asked quietly.  
  
'I suggest we get completely pissed.'  
  
  
  
Review or I'll set the dogs on you! Or maybe I will anyway. Hehehe! (clears throat.)  
  
Please review, I would be ever so grateful. 


	2. A little bit more knowledge

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, I earn nothing, I pay nothing. How's that?  
  
AUTHUR: ihadanepiphany  
  
Even more angst! I very rarely write angsty stuff so I guess its all coming out in this fic. For any who fall of the chair in boredom and backlash of angst, don't even think about sending me the doctor bill! Read the disclaimer!!!!!  
  
  
  
Three days later after dinner. They were outside, the small kitchen not being able to hold the entire Weasley clan, Percy Bill and Charlie had come home for two days, as well as Harry and Hermione. The plates were cleared and they were just sitting there, chatting and joking, soaking in the peace.  
  
Ron blinked suddenly. He felt extremely feverish, and could actually feel the beads of sweat pop out on his brow. He raised a shaky hand and realized that he couldn't focus properly; everything swam in and out of his vision. He heard muted sounds, like people were babbling about something very loudly, but he couldn't hear them clearly at all. He could feel himself sagging on the bench, but wasn't able to prevent himself from falling. A dull thud along his back told him he had slipped onto the ground. It felt good to be able to rest his head. He drifted into unconsciousness.  
  
'Ron!' Mrs Weasley was shouting, patting his face desperately. Arthur Weasley stood back, knowing what was happening. Harry and Hermione had been pushed backwards by the rush Rons' brothers made in reaching him, and could barely see anything of their best friend, as he lay comatose.  
  
Suddenly Mrs Weasley shot to her feet.  
  
'Is this it?' she asked her husband, in a voice that was too calm for its own good. Arthur nodded, hands clenched in fists behind his back. 'Get him in onto the sofa,' she said after a minute. The boys did as she asked, gently lifting their baby brother and getting him comfy on the overlarge couch. 'How long?' she asked no one in particular, stroking Rons' fiery, damp hair.  
  
'I don't know,' Arthur whispered. Harry glanced at him, then looked away. The mans obvious grief and inherited shame was too much to face.  
  
None of them moved for a long time, watching Rons even, shallow breathing. Then suddenly, between one-blink and the next, Ron appeared to melt and shimmer, and a light shone out, so brightly that the watchers had to look away. When they looked back, Ron had disappeared and a red-haired young woman was in his place.  
  
A riot of red curls were sprawled over the cushions and she was wearing the same robes that Ron had been in, but it seemed to Harry that they had a slightly different cut than before. She looked nothing like Ron. A small heart shaped face with high cheekbones, a small button nose and full red lips. She sighed and opened her eyes and Harry saw with a jolt that, no matter how different the rest of her was her eyes were Rons.  
  
She looked up at the onlookers strangely.  
  
'Er, hi?' she said. 'What, never seen a girl take a nap before?' She sat up and swung her legs off the couch. She looked at Harry and Hermione standing by the window. 'Hello,' she said. 'Don't think we've met.' They stared.  
  
'I invited them,' Ginny said hurriedly. 'They're my friends from school.' The girl glanced at Ginny but she volunteered nothing more. With a theatrical sigh, the girl got up and walked towards the pair, hand extended.  
  
'In the absence of my sisters manners, I'd better introduce myself. Hi, I'm Rebecca, I gather that you know the rest of them,' her sweeping gesture took in the whole redheaded clan, who were currently staring at their bro-, sister in shock. Except for Arthur who had been through it before and Mrs Weasley who was sobbing into her handkerchief.  
  
'Er, yes,' Hermione said, recovering her voice first. She shook Rebecca's hand and smiled with genuine, if hesitant warmth. Harry was as responsive as an automaton, just shaking the offered hand and letting it go. Hermione shot him a look.  
  
'You'll have to excuse him,' she said, laughing it off. 'You know males, any more than one thought at a time and they break down from the strain.  
  
'I think I'm familiar with the concept yes,' Rebecca replied dryly, casting a look at her collected brothers. Then she noticed her mother. 'Mum! Are you alright?' she asked, going to her. Mrs Weasley looked up at her worried face, at her sons eyes in her new daughters face and broke down again. Baffled Rebecca looked up at the others. Arthur stepped forward and helped his wife to her feet.  
  
'Fred, George, help your mother up to bed,' he said. Shaking themselves, the twins did as told and assisted their mother up the stairs. There was a silence then, where no one knew quite what to say. Hermione stepped in though with a smile.  
  
'So where have you been that we haven't met you?' she asked. Rebecca smiled.  
  
'Oh here and there, there mostly. Listen, do you mind if we go into the kitchen? I'm going to be horribly rude and get something to eat while we talk. I'm absolutely starving.' Hermione didn't mind and so the two witches went into the kitchen for a good chat. The rest of them, Arthur, Percy, Charlie, Bill and Harry stared at each other in the deathly silence. 


	3. 

DISCLAIMER: Do I have to repeat it every time? I own nothing! I am a poor student! Leave me alone!  
  
AUTHUR: Once again, ihadanepiphany.  
  
Um, don't know how to intro this one. Just read and, I hope, enjoy. Flames are good, reviews better.  
  
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Harry stared around at the Great Hall, saw the House tables and the flags, the candles and enchanted sky, the staff table, Hagrid waved cheerily at him while Snape merely glared, and felt the old thrill stirring again. He was in Hogwarts! And though the feeling was damped by, events, it wasn't quashed fully. Beside him, he felt Hermione relax slightly. He was worried for her. She had spent nearly every moment of the last two days scaring up leads and information from the most unlikely of places, to the point where if she came within ten feet of the owl cages, Hedwig screeched piercingly and Errol immediately fainted.  
  
'Hey Harry,' he heard and turned around. It was Seamus Finnegan, another Gryffindor fifth year, he worked through the crowd to sit beside them. 'How you doing Hermione?' Seamus looked around. 'Where's Ron?'  
  
'He went, away for the year,' Hermione said, reeling off what the Weasleys had decided on. 'His aunt wanted him to visit her up north.'  
  
'For the year?' Seamus repeated, a bit nonplussed. 'That's a long visit.' Hermione rolled her eyes in agreement and shrugged.  
  
'It's her money. So Seamus, what do you think the chances are for Gryffindor and the House Cup?'  
  
'Well I don't know…' Hermione managed to keep Seamus talking about it until Dumbledore stood.  
  
'And now we welcome the new first-years.'  
  
The large double doors opened at the back of the hall and the new students trooped in. Everyone turned to watch them as they walked past and formed a line in front of the staff table. In front of the small stool on which was perched a small scruffy-looking indescript pointed hat. The Sorting Hat.  
  
As the first student (Ackbar, Arnold) stepped forward, Hermione muttered,  
  
'Slytherin.' Harry looked at the boys' haughty sneer and agreed. The Sorting Hat called out clearly,  
  
'Slytherin.'  
  
'That's one nought,' Hermione stated.  
  
'Um, Ravenclaw,' Harry guessed, a short fair girl stepped forward as Arnold went to the Slytherin table amid cheers and clapping. Hermione shook her head.  
  
'Hufflepuff.' She got out a parchment and quill. 'Look, lets do this properly.' She quickly made two columns and put a mark in one.  
  
'Gryffindor,' the Sorting Hat called out. The two glanced at each other and laughed softly while welcoming the new girl.  
  
They carried on with this game, as the line of hopefuls grew steadily smaller. They finished with the score of 15 to Harry and 16 to Hermione with 5 misses. Hermione started to roll up the parchment with a smug little smile as Dumbledore got to his feet and the hall fell silent again.  
  
'I welcome the first years to a new year in Hogwarts,' he began. 'But before we can begin the feast,' his eyes fell on the Gryffindor table and Harry wondered just what he knew. 'There is another new student we have to greet. Miss Rebecca Weasley please come in!' The whole of the student body turned towards the doors as they opened and Rebecca walked in. Well "walked" would have to do since there was no verb that Harry could think of that would have given her method of locomotion justice. To say the entire male population drooled and the female population grew claws and turned green was an understatement to say the least. Her robes looked no different than any others, but subtle differences in the cut showed that the body underneath was definitely not male. Harry caught himself staring as she passed and turned felt his ears burning. But then wasn't he told time and time again that Rebecca was not Ron, and suddenly it all made perfect sense. So he stared.  
  
She halted in front of the staff table and looked at the assembled teachers, waiting. Dumbledore cleared his throat.  
  
'Rebecca is joining us from distant shores,' he said, his voice carrying to the far corners and echoing off the ceiling, but somehow not being heard by the gathered males. 'She will join the fifth years, but her House is yet to be chosen.' He nodded to Rebecca. 'Put the hat on, my dear.' She nodded and sat down on the little stool, placing the Sorting hat on her head.  
  
Harry felt Hermione tense up, surprisingly like Crookshanks when preparing to spring. She was muttered under her breath. 'Gryffindor, Gryffindor, Gryffindor,' she repeated. Harry silently echoed her, crossing his fingers and praying desperately.  
  
'Slytherin!' the Hat shouted. There was a shocked silence for a split second before the Slytherin table erupted in a cascade of yells and shouts and clapping. Except for the girls, who just sat there, tapping one hand against the other, glaring daggers. Harry deflated as he watched Rebecca put the Hat back on the stool and make her way to the Slytherin. Beside him Hermione let out a heart-felt sigh.  
  
'So that's it then,' she murmured.  
  
At the same time on his other side, Seamus clutched at his heart and made like a martyr.  
  
'Slytherin! How could such a being be cursed to wander with that crowd of, of,' he faltered, looking for a suitable description. Several muttered ideas, all of which Seamus ignored.  
  
'Ignorant snake-kissing high-and-mighty's?' someone suggested.  
  
'Close enough,' Seamus replied. 'When she could be graced with our wonderful presence? Nay, 'tis too cruel a fate.'  
  
'You've spent too much time with Gadwin,' Harry commented lightly, though his stomach had gone hollow. 'I would've thought all that armour would chafe a bit.' He ducked as Seamus' reply whizzed through the air and hit an unfortunate first year. He promptly turned bright lilac. Laughter broke out as the poor lad was swiftly put back to rights by a sixth year that was laughing so hard the counter-spell nearly missed.  
  
Glancing up at the staff table, Hermione saw Snape smile. She looked at the Slytherin table and saw Rebecca wedged between some first year-or-other and someone she couldn't see. Then the mob moved and she got a clear view. Rebecca was laughing and joking with all of the Slytherins, but most of all with, Hermiones fists clenched, Draco Malfoy!  
  
Dumbledore lifted his goblet.  
  
'I know you're all starving, so I'll keep this short and sweet. Lets eat!'  
  
All around the Great hall the platters and jugs and other assorted paraphernalia were filled with food and drink.  
  
Draco Malfoy smiled at the girl beside him.  
  
'So where have you been all this time?' Rebecca raised an eyebrow at the slightly altered pick-up line.  
  
'Places,' she replied vaguely, filling her plate. 'You?'  
  
'Other places.' The pair chuckled. Out of the corner of his eye Draco saw Granger and Potter glare at them, and he grinned wider.  
  
Rebecca turned to answer a question from another student.  
  
Well, well he thought. A chance to score and rub those Muggle-lovers noses in it at the same time? Almost too good to be true. He watched Rebecca, remembering how she had moved down the Great Hall. She turned and saw his appraising look. She gave him one of her own, arching an eyebrow. Almost.  
  
Rebecca laughed to herself as a smile broke out on Malfoys face. True, the guy was handsome in a chilly kinda way, but she got the sense that there was more to him than that. She noticed as he joked with other Slytherins, making comments about the "Muggle-lovers" and "Mudbloods." Somehow she managed not to show her distaste, she'd had to deal with ignorance before and it came second nature to her now. Unlike the rest of her family, she had never felt any kind of affection towards Muggles, but she couldn't stand prejudice.  
  
It was a pity, she'd had hopes for Malfoy, swift hopes, but hopes none the less.  
  
But who knows? She reminded herself. Just maybe.  
  
  
  
Hehehe! So waddya think? Will I put D and R together? Will Hermione ever recover? Will this writer ever stop writing? For the last one, an absolute NO. I enjoy boring you guys to hell far too much to give it up now. As for the other two, you're as much in the know as I am at this stage.  
  
Be nice and review, or the Dementors will be getting your address. 


	4. Um, just a little steam really

DISCLAIMER: Characters, except Rebecca Weasley and any others I may have inadvertently created, do not belong to me. They belong the Great One, J.K. Rowling.  
  
AUTHUR: ihadanepiphany.  
  
Hermione gets a little bit pissed off. If you don't like that, then I suggest you skim very lightly. Cos I've been waiting for a chance to let her blow some steam, and I was not about to pass this one up!  
  
Do please enjoy.  
  
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The students filed out the Great Hall late that night on their way to their respective towers. Harry turned as someone tugged at his robes.  
  
'Dumbledore wants to see you,' said a young Gryffindor he didn't know. He looked up to see Dumbledore beckon to him and Hermione. Hermione raised an eyebrow at Harry, he shrugged. Silently they fought through the mass of students towards the Headmaster.  
  
'Time for a word or three?' Dumbledore asked.  
  
'Always,' Hermione assured, smiling.  
  
'Jolly good.' The Wizard glanced around at the slowly dissipating crowd. 'Another minute or so and we'll be able to risk our necks,' he said, grinning. 'Ah Professor Snape.' The tall sour-looking Professor turned. 'I trust you are happy with your new students.'  
  
'Ecstatic,' he replied. He glanced at Harry and Hermione. 'I hope nothing has happened to young Weasley,' he said, with a touch more amusement than Harry cared for.  
  
'Oh I'm sure he'll come out alright,' Dumbledore stated. 'He generally does.'  
  
'Indeed. Excuse me Headmaster, I have business to attend to.'  
  
'Of course.' With a nod to Dumbledore Snape glided away. Hermione scowled at the retreating back, fingers itching to send a curse after it. 'Come along you too,' Dumbledore said after a moment, setting off in the other direction.  
  
A while later, Harry and Hermione sat fidgeting in Dumbledores office.  
  
'Tell me,' the Wizard said, leaning forward. 'How did you come to be acquainted with Miss Rebecca Weasley?' Neither knew quite what to say.  
  
'We met at Rons house,' Hermione said at last.  
  
'Oh yes? And where is Ron?'  
  
'He's at his aunts,' Hermione said, looking at the corner of the desk. 'Up north somewhere.'  
  
'Up north?' Hermione fidgeted, nervously tugging at the hem of her robe.  
  
'Yes sir,' she replied in a mutter. He stared hard at her and Harry and Harry felt like the old headmaster was reading his mind.  
  
'Well done,' he said at last. 'Not up to the standard needed for Snape, but well done.' Hermione stared at the wizard, startled. He opened a drawer and pulled out a parchment. ' "Dear Dumbledore," ' he read aloud. ' "Our son Ron will not be joining you this year, or any year after this. We are afraid to inform you that Ron has been replaced by Rebecca. We trust your discretion in this matter. Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are aware of the circumstances and can be trusted in this. We thank you for your understanding. Arthur and Molly Weasley." ' Dumbledore folded up the parchment and placed it in the fire. Hermione was staring at him and Harry was trying to figure out what was going on. 'I know what happened,' Dumbledore stated, regarding them gravely. 'I am aware of the curse that has plagued the Weasley family for the last seven generations. Arthur Weasley came to see me during the holidays and explained it.' He shook his head. 'It is very sad, but it cannot be helped. Young Ron was by no means the perfect student,' a grin flashed across his features as he remembered some of the redheads exploits. 'But he will be sorely missed.'  
  
'Does anyone else know?' Hermione asked quietly.  
  
'No. And it is to stay that way. Understand?' They both nodded. 'Good. The story of the northern aunt will continue. I have spoken with Ginny and she is also aware of the seriousness of this.' Dumbledore smiled suddenly. 'In fact she was the one who impressed on me how harmful it would be to the family if this secret got out.' Dumbledore stared at the pair of them and they dropped their gazes. 'Rebecca will be given every chance that is due to her.'  
  
'Due to her?' Hermione repeated angrily. 'Why? The only reason she is here is because she took over Rons life cos some damn-stupid ancestor tried to play hero! She has no right to be here! Ron should be the one who's here, not her! She shouldn't even exist!' The young witch was leaning on Dumbledores desk. Harry tried to calm her down. 'You know it as well as I do. She's nothing more than a leech, taking over Rons life.'  
  
'And what would you have us do Miss Granger?' Dumbledore asked quietly. Caught mid-rant she gaped at him. 'Lock her up? Throw her in Azkaban?' Dumbledores voice was calm, and at Harrys urging Hermione sat back down again. 'Kill her even? That won't bring Ron back you know. If you did that, you would destroy any chance of getting Ron back.' He smiled sadly at the witch. 'Believe me Hermione, I can understand your feeling the way you do, but don't take it out on someone who had nothing to do with it.'  
  
'What am I supposed to do?' she asked in a voice shaking with repressed anger. 'Just smile and pretend nothings wrong? My best friend is gone dammit! And that Rebecca is walking around, like she's real!'  
  
'She is real,' Dumbledore stated firmly. 'Make no mistake about that. She has her own life-history, her own mind, her own personality.'  
  
'Her own House,' Harry supplied dully.  
  
'Oh yes,' Dumbledore remembered. 'Well that cant be helped. Look,' he sighed. 'There is nothing to be done about anything this whole sorry mess.'  
  
'Isn't there?' Hermione asked. Dumbledore looked at her.  
  
'I hope you are talking about research Miss Granger,' he said warningly. 'I should hate to think that you would stoop to anything, drastic.' Hermione raised her chin.  
  
'Don't worry headmaster,' she said. 'I wouldn't dream of such a thing.' Harry hurriedly rose as he spotted danger signs from Dumbledore.  
  
'Lets not waste anymore time Hermione,' he said, pulling the witch up and out of the office. 'Thanks for your time, headmaster. We'll be careful, see you tomorrow.' He pulled the door closed on the two of them and soon emerged onto the deserted hallway.  
  
'Just what do you think you were up to?' he growled at Hermione, grabbing her elbow. 'You'd better not be planning anything stupid.'  
  
'Or what Harry?' she hissed back, whirling on him. 'What will you do?' She stared fiercely at him, until he dropped his hand and backed off. She pivoted on her heel and stormed off.  
  
'Where are you going?' he yelled after her. 'The towers the other way.'  
  
'I'm going to the library!' was the angry reply punctuated by a heavy slam of a door.  
  
'Trouble in the ranks Potter?' a familiar voice smirked. Harry turned to see Malfoy standing behind him. Harry pushed past him, in no mood for it. Draco started laughing. 'Surely you're not mad about Rebecca are you?' Harry spun and faced him.  
  
'What are you talking about now?' he snarled, fists clenched. Draco raised a sardonic eyebrow.  
  
'So mad Potter? No wonder she joined Slytherin. I had no idea Muggle- lovers had such tempers.' Muttering curses under his breath, Harry turned and began the walk to Gryffindor tower, Malfoys laughter trailing behind him.  
  
  
  
See what I meant? And that is not the end of Hermiones strops so be prepared.  
  
Review, or I'll, um, er, write really bad stuff? Even worse stuff? 


	5. a little warm and a little cold

DISCLAIMER: Characters, except Rebecca Weasley and any others I may have inadvertently created, do not belong to me. They belong the Great One, J.K. Rowling.  
  
AUTHUR: ihadanepiphany.  
  
I have a habit of changing characters around once I've got my claws into them, hope the altered Draco doesn't shock you too much. It was a necessity. To all Draco-the-bastard fans, my profound apologies, he DOES NOT lose all wonderful things that make him Draco, I just added a few more.  
  
Do enjoy, wont you?  
  
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Rebecca woke early and blinked sleepily at the wall. She stretched and turned; lying on her back, arm under her head. A glance at the clock told her there was an hour before she had to get up for breakfast, so what to do?  
  
Suddenly wide-awake and restless, she slipped out from the bed and quietly dressed, taking care not to disturb any of the other girls. Taking her boots with her, she tiptoed to the common room. The common room was dark, lit only by the dying embers of last nights fire. Around it were grouped tall easy-chairs, seeming black and forbidding this early.  
  
'Lumos,' Rebecca whispered to her wand, the same moment as she heard a whispered 'lumos' come from one of the chairs. The two lights shone brightly, partly dispelling the shadows. Rebecca looked to see who the other one belonged to, then relaxed.  
  
'Good morning Draco,' she said sitting down opposite him. 'How come you're up so early?' Malfoy shrugged.  
  
'Could ask you the same question.' Rebecca pointed her wand at the fireplace and with a word, relit the fire.  
  
'Indeed you could.' She started pulling on her boots, lacing them tightly. 'Wanted to explore a bit before breakfast,' she explained. Draco grinned.  
  
'I was just too lazy to stay in bed.'  
  
'That either makes no sense whatsoever,' Rebecca commented after a moment. 'Or it requires much pondering over.'  
  
'Could be both.' Rebecca gave him a look, smiling slightly.  
  
'I think we're in metaphysical areas with that one.'  
  
'You may be right.' With a yawn, Draco put his feet on the stone floor and stretched. 'Since you're exploring I may as well tag along,' he said jumping to his feet.  
  
'If you've nothing better for doing,' Rebecca replied, shrugging. She got up and went to the door, Draco close behind. 'What's the password again?' she asked as the 'door' closed.  
  
'Um, I don't know.' The two stared at each other, then started laughing.  
  
'Well that's it then, we're doomed to explore till someone lets us in,' Rebecca said gravely.  
  
'Yes, our tortured souls may well walk these halls for all eternity,' Draco intoned mournfully, while miming tying a rope around his neck and pulling.  
  
Bursting out laughing again, they wandered down the deserted corridors.  
  
Hermione yawned and pushed open the library door. Rubbing her eyes she stumbled out into the corridor, pulling up short at twin peals of laughter. Peering out over the banister, she saw a redhead and a blonde stagger down the hall, leaning on each other for support as they laughed themselves silly. Gritting her teeth, Hermione turned and stalked to the tower, a heavy volume under one arm.  
  
Students started appearing in drips and drabs, heading for the Great Hall. Rebecca could feel Draco stiffen beside her, his persona of cold-as-ice reappearing. Such a pity really, she'd had a great time with him for the hour. The guy was a gifted impressionist, and had her in stitches when he imitated Snape and Flitwick.  
  
'Ah, there you guys are,' Draco said, turning. 'You remember Crab and Goyle don't you Rebecca?' The two stood a bit off, not sure whether to intrude.  
  
'Hey guys,' she said. Crab waved slightly, Goyle just nodded. 'I'm gonna get some breakfast,' she told Draco. 'See you in there.'  
  
'Yeah, see you then.'  
  
Draco watched her go. He'd had a lot of fun with her that morning and for most of it, he'd forgotten to be a cold bastard. It had felt good. But now, he'd have to be a Malfoy again.  
  
'Come on guys,' Draco said, pulling an air of amused contempt around him like a cloak. 'Lets get some breakfast.'  
  
  
  
You like? You hate? Tell me anyway. In other words, review or Fang will have a new address, namely your front door. 


	6. a little filler and a little bit more

DISCLAIMER: Characters, except Rebecca Weasley and any others I may have inadvertently created, do not belong to me. They belong the Great One, J.K. Rowling.  
  
AUTHUR: ihadanepiphany.  
  
School life carries on, Draco gets a pep-talk from Snape and Hermione and Harry have a fight. Methinks that's about it.  
  
Enjoy, but don't forget to review, or, um, else!  
  
  
  
'Please tell me you're joking.'  
  
'I saw them Harry.' They were on the way to Hagrids for Care of Magical Creatures. Hermione was telling Harry about her seeing Rebecca and Draco that morning.  
  
'And?'  
  
'And they were all, togethery,' Hermione told him. 'Laughing and giggling.' Harry stared at the ground for a moment.  
  
'It might all be innocent,' he said, like he was trying to convince himself.  
  
'Harry, this is Draco Malfoy we're talking about. Since when has anything he's ever done been in any way innocent?' she said in a low voice as they were close to the other students.  
  
'I know.' Harry shrugged. 'Just, wanted to look on the bright side. Who are we sharing the class with?' he asked in an attempt to change the subject.  
  
'Slytherin.'  
  
'Ah.'  
  
'Yep.'  
  
'Harry,' a great voice boomed out. 'Hermione. How have you been?' Hagrid strode up to them, grinning madly. His boarhound Fang trotting by his side.  
  
'Great Hagrid,' Harry grinned back, happy at seeing the half-giant. 'How are things with you?'  
  
'Good now.' Hagrid looked around. 'Isn't Ron about?' Harry and Hermione looked guiltily at each other. Dumbledore had said no one must know, but did that include Hagrid? Given the mans loose tongue when the drink was on him, probably. But Harry couldn't lie to him, so once again it fell to Hermione to continue the charade.  
  
'He's gone to visit his aunt,' she said. 'Up north. Dunno where.' Hagrids face fell.  
  
'For how long?' Hermione shrugged.  
  
'We haven't got an owl back from him yet, so we don't know. A year, maybe longer.'  
  
'That long huh?' Hermione cleared her throat.  
  
'So, what will you be showing us this lesson Hagrid?' Hagrid light up again.  
  
'Well, I was thinking that maybe we tried something new.'  
  
'New as in Blast-ended Skrewts new? Harry asked worriedly. Before Hagrid could answer, the gang of Slytherins showed up, headed of course by Draco.  
  
'Well here we are,' he announced to no one in particular. 'Ready to waste our time for another year.' Harry heard a muttered growl and he looked up at Hagrid, but the man was already striding towards a large cage beside his hut.  
  
Hermione prodded Harry with her elbow. 'Look, there she is.' Harry looked. Rebecca was walking down the path at her own pace, far away from Draco and his cronies, but near enough to be part of the group.  
  
'See?' he murmured. 'You probably mistook what you saw.' Further conversation was stopped however by a loud bellow coming from the cage Hagrid had gone into. All eyes swivelled towards it and all wands were gripped in readiness. The last few years of Hagrids teaching hadn't been forgotten.  
  
Hagrid came out, arms outstretched, hands firmly holding onto something that wasn't there. A few snickers broke out from the Slytherins as Hagrid struggled to an enclosure, still holding onto nothing. Several students followed him, keeping a wary distance and Harry and Hermione were the first to the enclosure. They saw Hagrid open a door in the side and throw the handfuls of air into it, then slam the door immediately, before leaning on it, gasping for breath.  
  
The sniggering stopped suddenly. The enclosure had an odd shade of purple- brown as a floor and something was beginning to take shape. Something very big. With horns. And teeth. And a great big long tail.  
  
'That, class,' Hagrid said loudly. 'Is a chameleon. Can anyone tell me what its speciality is?' Nearly every hand went up. 'You,' he said, pointing out a Gryffindor that Harry didn't know.  
  
'Changing its colour to blend in with the background?'  
  
'Close.' Most hands went down again. 'Anyone else?' Beside Harry, Hermione, as usual was nearly dislocating her arm. 'You, new girl,' Hagrid said suddenly. 'What's your name?'  
  
'Rebecca,' was the reply.  
  
'Rebecca huh? Do you know the answer?' Rebecca glanced at Hermione who was on her toes, then at Draco who was leaning on the railing with a bored expression.  
  
'Not the details. But essentially, the beast known as a chameleon, or Invisiculus Transperitas can turn invisible by bending the light rays as they hit its body making it appear that they are not there and giving the illusion that they are invisible as the viewer is in fact seeing the light that is on the other side of the chameleon.' She nodded at the chameleon who was inside the enclosure and very visible indeed. 'They cannot bend light rays of certain colour, like the colour of the pen floor which is the reason for this one being visible.' There was silence for two seconds, then Hagrid cleared his throat.  
  
'Right. Well, that's, absolutely correct. Er, well done.' He cleared his throat again and began telling the class about the chameleons' defences. 'The adult chameleon has a very thick hide, tough enough to withstand most attacks. Along with that are its scales, which are of the same strength as Dragon scales. There is only one area of weakness on the body of the chameleon and that is a small area between the horn between its eyes and the one on the top of its skull.'  
  
Draco leaned over to Rebecca as Hagrid went on.  
  
'How did you know all that?' he asked in a low voice. 'Taking after Granger are you?' he asked mockingly, with more than a touch of seriousness.  
  
'Is it my fault if I was gifted with a brain?' she asked airily. Draco laughed softly, than turned back to the lesson, missing the cold glare that Rebecca levelled at his back.  
  
Across the enclosure, Harry nudged Hermione.  
  
'Look,' he said. 'It seems there's nothing to worry about.' Hermione glanced at he Slytherins.  
  
'Mmm,' was her only reply, obviously not convinced.  
  
Harry shook his head and started paying attention to the weaponry of the chameleon. Knowing his luck since starting in Hogwarts he'd probably have to fight the blasted thing.  
  
Draco sat in a big easy chair in the Slytherin common room, a can of Butterbeer in one hand. It was a month since the new girl, Rebecca had joined the school and the House and Draco still wasn't sure about her.  
  
She was no Muggle-lover that was for damn sure, but she wasn't the kind that Draco himself and most of the rest of the Slytherins were. She was more of the kind that just left them to their own devices, neither helping nor harming, just ignoring. But it seemed like she preferred not to hear the comments and jokes that the Slytherins indulged in as a whole. More than once Draco saw her with a vicious look on her face while he was telling a joke of the Mudblood variety. Rather than being amused, or even irritated by it, he actually felt, kind of, wounded.  
  
Shaking his head sharply in denial, Draco took a slug of the Butterbeer, savouring the heat. Such thoughts were dangerous, he knew. Attitudes like that are what bring families like the Malfoys to their knees. You had to be clear-headed about certain things, like Muggles, and, and…  
  
Draco got up abruptly, throwing the empty can into the bin. He wasn't going to ponder such a ridiculous thing. It was beyond the realms of possible. It was completely absurd and totally out of the question. The very idea that he might be, what?  
  
Muttering a curse Draco got his cloak and stormed out of the common room. He had to clear his head.  
  
Half an hour later he was standing on the top of one of the towers, staring out at the night-time view of the Forbidden Forest. The harsh wind whipped his blonde hair around his face, mirroring the confusion in his head.  
  
'Is there a reason for you trying to catch your death of cold Malfoy?' Draco turned to see the head of his House, Professor Snape glide across the tower to him.  
  
'Just thought I'd have a reason for not doing the homework for your class,' Draco replied, grinning. While most of the school saw the iciness and cruelty of the Professor, the Slytherins knew him to be much less harsh than he made out, Draco especially.  
  
'That would work,' Snape acknowledged, leaning on a parapet. 'If it were not for the fact that both myself and Madam Pomfrey can mix potions to fix it in an eyeblink.'  
  
'There is that.' Both teacher and pupil stared out into the night for some minutes.  
  
'Joking aside,' Snape said after a while. 'What's the real reason?' Draco didn't reply. 'A certain redhead perhaps?'  
  
'Perhaps,' he allowed grudgingly. He sighed. 'Everything's so, complicated.'  
  
'Most things are,' Snape acknowledged. 'Not everything is as clear-cut as the reasons for not using adult Mandrakes as dinner music.' Draco didn't reply. 'You know, I can across an odd potion the other day,' Snape said suddenly. 'All the instructions were completely wrong. By rights, every ingredient should have reacted violently with every other ingredient and the entire potion should have exploded at least ten times. But at the end of it, the writer had said that despite all appearances, the potion would work. So last night I tried it. It wasn't all that complicated, though I have to admit to jumping behind tables quite frequently.'  
  
'Did it explode?' Draco asked, interested despite himself, Potions being his best class.  
  
'Oh yes, several times, though I feel they were more, showy than harmful. But by the end, I had a perfectly stable potion.' Snape glanced at Draco who was digesting the story.  
  
'What was the potion for?' he asked slowly. Snape shrugged.  
  
'Buggered if I know,' he replied. Draco half-smiled, staring out over the grounds. 'Come on, 'Snape sighed. 'Its past curfew and I don't want to have to take points from Slytherin for you being late.'  
  
As Snape and Draco rounded a corner on the way to the Slytherin common room, they could hear voices ahead of them. Very familiar voices. They glanced at each other then paused, listening.  
  
'You cant still think its in there,' they heard Harry Potter say, exasperated. There was a reply that they couldn't hear, then Harry said, 'You've turned the library inside out and upside down! You know damn-near every book by heart! What could you have possibly missed?'  
  
'Well obviously I've missed it because I haven't found it yet!' a voice they identified as Hermione Granger replied in a near-shout.  
  
'The fact that it mightn't be in there hasn't occurred to you?' There was a low murmur, then Harry said quietly, 'I know how you feel, I miss him too. But, Hermione, you have to realize that he's gone and he's not coming back.' There was a sharp gasp, then the sound of someone being slapped and then footsteps running away. Teacher and pupil glanced at each other in surprise and confusion. After a minute or so they heard a second pair of footsteps walk slowly in another direction.  
  
'Well,' Draco mused. 'Wonder what's going on there?'  
  
'Mmm,' Snape agreed, then he appeared to come to a decision. 'Draco, do not repeat any of what just happened.'  
  
'What?' Draco was aghast, imagine all the jokes he could have at Potters expense! All the ways he could twist that little fight!  
  
'Do not repeat any of what just happened,' Snape repeated. 'Obviously such goings-on have a very serious reason behind them. How do you know what it is they were fighting over? Or who it was Potter was referring to? No,' Snape shook his head, though he seemed less than happy about his decision. 'Leave this between them. Tell nobody, Malfoy.'  
  
'Yes Professor,' Draco mumbled.  
  
'I'm serious Draco, I don't want to have to make you forget.'  
  
'Professor!' Snape raised an eyebrow. 'Oh alright. On my family's honour, I wont breathe a word of the fight between Potter and Granger. Or hint towards, or drop allusions to, write down or in any other way reveal that there is anything but the best of good feelings between Potter and Granger. How's that?' he asked sourly.  
  
'Good enough, now get to the common room.'  
  
'Yes Professor.'  
  
Rebecca looked up from the game of Wizard Chess she was watching when she heard the door of the common room slam shut.  
  
'You're late, you know,' she said, when Draco came into view. He muttered a reply and fell into a chair beside the fire. 'Oh cheer up,' she said, moving over to him. 'Might never happen.'  
  
'That's precisely what I'm afraid of,' he said, half to himself. He looked up to see her perched on the arm of the chair, relishing the heat of the fire. 'Is there no free chairs?'  
  
'None beside the fire.' She sat on the edge of the arm of the chair, eyes half-closed, soaking in the heat. She looked down at him. 'What's got you so down anyway?'  
  
'I promised not to tell,' Malfoy groaned. 'On my family's honour.' Rebecca raised an eyebrow.  
  
'You family has honour?' The black look Draco threw her way made her pause. 'Okay, just a little too far with that one.'  
  
'Ya think?' He yawned hugely and got up out of the chair. 'I'm heading to bed.' He looked down at Rebecca who had slid into his place when he moved, and was very tempted to say, come with me?  
  
'See ya tomorrow,' she said. 'I'm gonna just sit here and you know, bask for a while.'  
  
'Yeah,' Draco said as he moved off, sounding a bit disappointed to her ears. 'See you in the morning.'  
  
You know the routine, reviews are very nice, or just a little smiley face or something. Flames will be banished to the grate where they will continue to keep me warm.  
  
Oh and for all you who need an injection of HP based insanity look for Jay- Cee's version on the challenge that started this monstrosity. It's called Pushing the Boundaries and believe me, you will be falling off your seats. In other words, read it review it and she wont kill me for doing this. 


	7. a little warning

DISCLAIMER: Characters, except Rebecca Weasley and any others I may have inadvertently created, do not belong to me. They belong the Great One, J.K. Rowling.  
  
AUTHUR: ihadanepiphany.  
  
Hmmm! Nobodies reviewing. Cept Jay-Cee and I'm very honoured hun, but you a very good friend and so if you didn't I would feed you to space slugs so you don't really count. Somebody review!! Not you Jay, the other people out there in la-la-land. And thanks for all the recommendations by the way. Review People!!!!  
  
In spite of the lack of reviews, or perhaps in a twisted kind of way because of the lack of reviews, here is the next instalment. Lets see, Rebecca admits her feelings to herself, Hermione tries to warn her about Draco (but does she listen?), Neville actually comes out top in a class, (Hah! two challenge points in one only three to go!), and an insight into how Harry feels about all this.  
  
I don't care if you enjoy it or not JUST BLOODY REVIEW!!!! please?  
  
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Rebecca lay in the darkness for hours, listening to the sounds of her fellow Slytherins sleeping, trying to get a grip on what she felt for the blonde heir to the Malfoy throne.  
  
On the one hand, he was so incredibly sweet, and funny when they were alone together. No matter what her mood, he always managed to make her laugh and he was so kind and nice.  
  
But then there was the other Draco, the one that materialized whenever someone besides her was within a half-mile of him. Cold, abrasive, rude, cruel, prejudiced. All the things she always hated in a person, they were that Dracos' central characteristics.  
  
She was so confused. One minute he was so nice, kind and sweet and she could feel herself falling in love with him and the next he was a cold- hearted arrogant bastard that made her blood boil and her fists itch.  
  
So what did she feel for him? She had absolutely no idea. Until he made up his mind as to who he was, she couldn't decide whether she loved him or hated him.  
  
Her last thought before she finally fell asleep was, #Gods I hope he turns into the one I love#  
  
Hermione walked down the corridors of the school. She saw a tall redhead ahead of her and she broke into a run to catch up.  
  
'Rebecca,' she gasped, coming to a stop. The girl looked at her, one hand on the door to the girls' bathroom. 'We need to talk?' Rebecca raised an eyebrow in perplexed amusement.  
  
'Cant it wait?' she asked, gesturing towards the door.  
  
'No, it's important.' Rebecca took in the other girls determined look and nodded slowly.  
  
'Alright but make it short.' Hermione paused; she hadn't actually decided what to say at this point.  
  
'You seem to be making great friends with Malfoy, really close friends.'  
  
'Draco? Why?' Rebecca crossed her arms and waited for Hermione to speak, fixing her with an unreadable gaze.  
  
'Well, the Malfoys in general and Draco in particular have a certain, reputation.'  
  
'Uh-huh.'  
  
'And I thought that since you are kind of new here, you wouldn't be aware of just how, persuasive, Draco can be.'  
  
'And you thought to warn me off him my own sake,' Rebecca said, summing it up. 'That the jist of it?'  
  
'Er, yeah, I guess.'  
  
'Uh-huh.' Rebecca stared at Hermione and Hermione stared right back. 'Well thanks for the warning,' she said with a touch of frost, still not breaking eye-contact. 'I'll try to remember it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to.' Rebecca turned away and went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.  
  
Hermione stood outside the door, fuming. Well she hadn't really expected her warning to have any real effect, but to be swept aside like that galled her. She spun on one heel and set off back down the corridor.  
  
Inside the bathroom, Rebecca leaned on a cubicle, thoughts in a whirl. Hermione's warning could be read in two ways, either she was genuine and Draco was trouble she should steer clear of, or she was jealous and trying to turn her against him. She really didn't know what to think, or do about it.  
  
'Just ignore it,' she told herself. 'It'll sort itself out.'  
  
'Revision time class,' Professor Mirfon, the DADA teacher called out after all the class had been seated. She was an okay teacher more of a book teacher than a practical, but since she took the class out to the Forbidden Forest once a month to track down various creatures for study, none of the students minded. Even Neville managed to excel in those classes. 'We'll be doing vampires today. Close your books.'  
  
A groan rose form the class, but it more tradition than with any real feeling to it. They had done vampires with Professor Lupin and therefore knew all there was to know.  
  
Professor Mirfon began the round of questions, and it really was a round. Lights appeared over each pupils head and every question a student got right, the light would grow brighter and every question they got wrong, it grew darker and there was a time limit of ten seconds on each question.  
  
'How long have vampires been around?' Seamus got that one right. 'What causes them most harm?' Harry got that one right. 'What is the reason for it?' was the bonus question, which Harry didn't know and Hermione did. And so on. Until near the end of the class when most of the lights had gone out or were on the brink of and three were shining like mini-suns, Hermiones being the brightest of course, Professor Mirfon asked a final question. 'This one is worth five of the others. Ready? Who or what are the Slayers and the Watchers?' Dead silence. Hermione took down the hand she had automatically raised, brow furrowed. 'Anyone? I'm not really surprised, I believe it was only mentioned in the books as a footnote. Ah well, that'll be your, yes Neville?'  
  
Harry glanced behind him, Neville, flushing a deep red, was slowly but surely raising his hand.  
  
'Um,' he stammered, gazing around at all the eyes turned his way. Then he drew a deep breath. 'The Slayer is a girl who kills vampires. There's only one per generation and once called she has all the inherent strength of a Master Vampire. She fights off all the vampires and demons to prevent them from taking over and destroying this world. Um, the Watchers are specially trained Witches and Wizards who are designated one each to a Slayer and help her win her battles. However given the perils of the job, the Slayer death rate is extremely high. Um, once a Slayer dies, a new one is immediately called.' There was silence for a moment then all the students looked to the Professor for confirmation.  
  
She nodded, beaming. 'That's exactly right Neville, well done.' The light above Neville's head became brighter than most in the class, second only to Hermione. 'For a bonus question, can you name one Slayer and one Watcher, not current?' Neville thought hard, the other pupils silently willing him on.  
  
'Slayer, Jane Susan, um, Rosentracht. Watcher, Paul Gotca.' Again the professor nodded and all the students cheered as Nevilles light became just as bright as Hermiones.  
  
'Homework, class,' Mirfon called out as the class got ready to leave. 'Two foot of parchment on Slayers and Watchers for the next class. Neville, you are exempt from doing it.'  
  
'Well done Neville,' everyone said as they left for their next classes. A beaming Neville turned beetroot form the unaccustomed praise.  
  
'What have we next?' he asked Harry on the way out.  
  
'Er, Potions,' Harry said, expecting Neville to turn panicky again. But the boy just shrugged.  
  
'Cant it have it good every class,' he remarked, before grinning madly again.  
  
'Yeah,' Harry said turning the corner. 'Listen, could you give me hand with the homework cos I do not have a clue.'  
  
'No problem Harry.'  
  
Beyond that class, the day just dragged by on legs of lead. More than once Harry had to stop Hermione from leaping over the benches to kill the Slytherins in general and Draco Malfoy in particular. That in itself was just strange enough to creep him out, usually it Hermione who whispered the mantra of, 'ignore them, ignore them,' to him and Ron.  
  
Ron.  
  
Well, right there was the core of all the problems wasn't it? Despite his best efforts, Harry got intensely, irritated, when he saw Rebecca walking around like she had every right to be there. But she does, he reminded himself. She doesn't have a clue about, it. But still. And then to see her and Draco Malfoy Draco Malfoy for magic's sake! was like throwing salt on a festering wound.  
  
Well, there was nothing he could do about it was there? In all the records Hermione had gone through - thanks to the 'borrowing' of Harrys invisibility cloak that included all of the Forbidden Section as well - not one of them contained any kind of reference to the spell at all, never mind a counter-spell. They could, as Fred suggested do the spell in reverse, Transformicous mele, but then, how would they know that they would get Ron? It would be far more likely that another complete stranger showed up instead.  
  
So, there was nothing they could do. Even though he had thought that many times, he still couldn't believe it to be true, he just couldn't. He couldn't believe that he would never see Ron, or talk with him, or joke with him, or play Quidditch or Wizard Chess or Exploding Snap or….  
  
Harry stopped those thoughts dead. He'd been down that road many times already, and it only sharpened the hurt. He had been through many hardships before in his young life, but was by far the hardest.  
  
He sat in an armchair in the Gryffindor common room, staring silently into the fire. Well, know he knew why his godfather, Sirius Black had such a rough time back in Azkaban. Though right now, he couldn't envisage how it could get worse. Every time he heard a door opening, or a step behind him or someone call his name, he turned, hopeful that he would see his best friend, grinning like it was all one big joke. And every time it was someone else. His heart grew heavier and heavier and colder and colder each time. Absentmindedly he wondered if it would freeze altogether and he would have no feelings whatsoever, he fervently hoped so and that it would be soon.  
  
He shook his head, such thoughts were no good to anyone. But he couldn't stop remembering Ron, when they first met at the train station, his wit and temper just as fiery as his hair. He started chuckling as he remembered the look on Rons face when a practical joke worthy of his twin brothers and involving two lengths of rope, the door to Snapes dungeon, a hungry hellhound and a large hunk of meat, spectacularly backfired.  
  
Harry sat in the armchair until the last of the other Gryffindors had gone to bed and the large fire had fallen into ashes. Only then did he let the tears fall.  
  
  
  
One of the more angsty parts I know but don't put away that tissue yet cos I've already written the next bit and it does not get any cheerier. Alert! Foreshadowing! Alert! I know its bloody foreshadowing already! Anyway, you see Alert! Foreshadowing! Alert Alright! Hermione and Alert! Foreshadowing! Alert! AAAAGGGHHH!!!! Read next bit and bloody well find out for yourselves!  
  
And bloody review! 


	8. A little bit more angst please

DISCLAIMER: Characters, except Rebecca Weasley and any others I may have inadvertently created, do not belong to me. They belong the Great One, J.K. Rowling.  
  
AUTHUR: ihadanepiphany.  
  
Warning, short and not very sweet im afraid. Harry and Hermione get together but I don't want them together so they do not stay together got it? I don't care if you want them to or not they're not staying together it would screw up the future plans too much. Red Vampiry Slayer Rebecca is NOT the Vampire Slayer, that was only mentioned bcos it was a challenge point and Ron is not really gone, you'll see. And I'm so flattered but vampires have no reference here. Sorry.  
  
Do please enjoy, and review wont you?  
  
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It was close to dawn before Hermione entered the Gryffindor tower. She closed the door to the common room and wearily let the Invisibility Cloak fall from her.  
  
'You'd better pick that up,' a voice came from the shadows, making her jump.  
  
'Are you trying to give me a heart-attack Harry?' she asked, yawning. She went to the chair he was sitting in, he budged up to make room.  
  
'Nope,' he replied flippantly. 'If I wanted you dead I'd just wait till the stress killed you. So much simpler and more entertaining to watch.' A spark of temper flared, but she was just too weary to fight. She sighed and rested her head back on his shoulder, closing her eyes.  
  
'Herm, I hate to sound like a nag,' Harry said after a few moments of silence. 'But you have got to stop. You can't survive on half-an-hour of rest a night. It's not physically or psychologically healthy.'  
  
'Oooh, big words,' Hermione muttered. She felt rather than heard Harrys hiss of frustration. 'Don't worry about me Harry,' she said, opening her eyes and looking up at him. 'It's not like I'm liable to fall apart any time soon.' Harry frowned, obviously disbelieving her bravado.  
  
'Well someone has to worry about you,' he pointed out. 'Cos you're obviously not inclined to do so.'  
  
'Spare me,' Hermione grumbled.  
  
'No, I wont,' he replied, glaring at her. 'I've ignored it for too long Hermione. You cannot continue on the way you've been. How many hours of sleep did you have this week?' Hermione looked away, into the shadows. 'You're pushing yourself too far and I'm not going to stand aside and let you run yourself into an early grave.' He paused and Hermione saw the sorrow in his green eyes, which brought the tears to hers. 'I've already lost one friend Herm,' he whispered. 'Please don't make me lose you as well.' Hermione stared at him, in her search for a spell to bring Ron back, she hadn't thought about what Harry was going through.  
  
'Oh Harry,' she whispered as the tears spilled onto her cheeks. 'I'm sorry,' she sobbed. 'I'm so sorry.'  
  
'Hey, don't cry,' Harry said, rather taken-aback. He gathered his weeping friend into a hug and held her as the sobs racked her frame. 'It's okay Herm,' he soothed. 'Its alright. Just let it out. It's okay.' Eventually, Hermione got a grip on herself and became silent. She muttered something that Harry didn't catch, her face being pressed into his chest and all. He ducked his head to hear just as she raised her head to speak. Their lips met in a kiss.  
  
The kiss was one of wretched desperation, both looking for a hiding-place from the loneliness, a sanctuary from the despair. Full of sorrow, neither was fully-conscious of who the other was, only knowing that once the kiss ended, cruel reality would crash back with a cold vengeance.  
  
It was Hermione who broke the kiss, seeing the image of Ron behind her eyelids turn into that of Harry before her eyes. She gave a small wail and then jumped from the chair and ran for the dormitories, leaving Harry sitting there with his head in his hands.  
  
Somehow, they got through the next day, with the seconds dragging by, stretching out until it felt that Time wasn't moving at all. But at last, the last class ended, then the dinner was eaten and done, then the common room emptied.  
  
Hermione lay in her bed, wide-awake, listening to the gentle snores of her fellow Gryffindors. She felt cold all over, though she had used a heat spell three times and by rights should be slowly cooking. It felt like she had frozen from the inside out, to the point of no return. She felt so alone, no friends left in the world. But then. Big fat tears leaked from her unblinking eyes onto the thick pillows, she took no notice of them. She had lost her two best friends, her only true friends, one by a spell she couldn't undo, the other by her own stupid actions. Either way, she was to blame. She had imagined him to be Ron, and then she had opened her eyes to see Harry. The feeling of guilt and shame and betrayal She had betrayed Ron had been too much and she fled. Even now, she couldn't figure out how the kiss started, but that didn't matter. It happened, and now she had to deal with it and all that it entailed. She dozed off into an uneasy sleep, punctuated by the reoccurring nightmare, the real reason why she had fought so hard to stay awake these past weeks. One where she saw Ron Stare at her in hatred, then walk away, where she couldn't follow. But this night, Harry was there with Ron, walking away and leaving her with nothing to lean on. The silence of the dormitory was soon punctured by muffled sobs.  
  
Had Harry known this, he would have felt even worse. Staring up at the ceiling, he tried to sort out in his head just what he was going to do. Before, it had all been relatively easy, though it never seemed so at the time. He knew what he had to do and he did it, but most importantly he always had his friends beside him. Now, he had noone to lean on, noone to help him get through it and noone to share the victory with. Ron, lost by a spell that couldn't be undone and Hermione, lost to him because of a stupid accidental kiss. He had seen in Hermiones eyes before she had bolted, the pain and sadness that had been building up double in an instant. That hurt almost as much as the rest of it. And he had betrayed Ron. Never mind that Ron was probably never coming back –Harry felt the familiar stab at the thought – Hermione was his, and Ron was Hermiones. He had had his ears filled often enough from both of them about how each like the other and how they wanted to go together but were too scared to be absolutely certain of that. And now Harry had done what was probably the worst thing he could do, he had gone behind his best friends back and at the same time, caused his other best friend even more pain. He spent the whole night until the dawn lit the eastern sky chasing thoughts around in his head, trying to make sense of what should never have happened. He got up before the sun and well gone before Hermione emerged in the common room.  
  
It was probably better that way.  
  
  
  
Told you. But methinks this is gonna be the angsytiest piece, I hope. I really don't know actually, oh well. Tell me what you think and all that stuff. 


	9. A little suprise

DISCLAIMER: Characters, except Rebecca Weasley and any others I may have inadvertently created, do not belong to me. They belong the Great One, J.K. Rowling.  
  
AUTHUR: ihadanepiphany.  
  
A bit brighter you'll be glad to be glad to read. It was pointed out to me that Ginny has had extremely little notice in this so I decided to kill two birds with one stone, figuratively speaking of course. Some of you may find it funny, I sure did.  
  
Do enjoy and remember to press that little button at the end of the story and write something in the little box that appears. In other words, review!  
  
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It was near Christmas and there was a visit down to Hogsmeade. The students thronged the streets of the village buying presents and sweets, but mainly clustered around the new shop on the main-street.  
  
The Wizard Wheezes Joke Shop.  
  
Inside was organized chaos of the highest quality. Both Fred and George were behind the counter rushed off their feet while Ginny Hermione and Harry helped control the stream of Hogwart students and other, less youthful customers.  
  
'Three Canary Creams, two fake wands and four Engorging Toffees,' Fred said behind the till. 'That'll be five sickles. Thank you, Merry Christmas.' It was only the first week and they had already paid for the rent three times over. They were minting money and it was only two o'clock!  
  
After the twins had finished at Hogwarts they had wandered around loose for a couple of months, then they had used the bag of gold Harry had given them after winning the Triwizard Championship to set up the joke shop. From their own experience they knew how frustrating it was to really need a good pranking item and being unable to get hold of it. Before opening Dumbledore had paid them a visit. He stood in the middle of the shop and looked around at the jars of enchanted snacks, the trays of enchanted items, the fake wands and had heaved a heart-felt sigh.  
  
'So I see the Weasley twins influence will not fade for some years,' he had said almost mournfully.  
  
'If we have anything to do with it,' Fred had replied, grinning.  
  
'Filch will not be happy.' Dumbledore looked slyly at them, eyes twinkling in amusement. 'Is your silence due to a sudden twinge of conscience, or because you don't wish to tell me your true opinion of Filch and cause me to have a heart-attack?'  
  
'Yes,' George said blandly. Dumbledore chuckled.  
  
'I'll take,' he said peering closely at the glass jars. 'A Canary Cream and three fake wands.' The twins gaped for a moment before Fred rang up the items.  
  
'That'll be two sickles and five coppers.' Dumbledore took on a pained appearance.  
  
'No discount for not throwing you out of Hogwarts in first year?'  
  
'Oh yes, sorry,' he pressed another key in the till. 'Two sickles and four coppers.'  
  
Fred smiled at the memory even as he added up three peoples purchases at once. However, finally the throng became a crowd and the crowd became a stream then dried up as the students returned to Hogwarts in time for dinner.  
  
The twins sat by the fire sipping cocoa with Ginny, Harry and Hermione having left for the school.  
  
'How's Ron getting on?' George asked finally.  
  
'Rebecca,' Ginny corrected him distantly. George rolled his eyes.  
  
'Rebecca then. What's going on?' Ginny shrugged.  
  
'She's in Slytherin, you know that. She's one of the top in the year behind Hermione, you know that. She's with,' Ginny suddenly realized what she was saying and she clamped down on the sentence, but it was too late.  
  
'With?' Fred asked, leaning forward. 'She's with who?'  
  
'My look at the time,' Ginny said jumping up and hastening for the door. 'Gotta go don't want to be late.'  
  
'Ginny,' George said getting up.  
  
'You know what the professors are like, so unless you want to get me into trouble I'd better go. Now.'  
  
'Ginny,' Fred snapped, getting to the door before her. Ginny wilted before rearing up at him.  
  
'Fred Weasley if you don't get out of my way I'll make you eat the whole tray of engorgement toffees.'  
  
'Ginny!' both twins shouted. 'Who's she with!' Ginny dropped her head, beaten.  
  
'D'co M'lf'y,' she muttered.  
  
'Huh?' George said, looking at Fred who shrugged.  
  
'Draco Malfoy,' she repeated, straightening up. 'She's with Draco Malfoy.' The two stared at her in shock and bewilderment.  
  
'But, huh? Why? I mean, what?' Fred gasped, somewhat incoherently.  
  
'She's with Draco Malfoy?' George growled. 'My little sister is with Draco Malfoy?!'  
  
The two brothers stared at each other in horrified rage.  
  
'Why didn't you tell us before?' Fred hissed.  
  
'Because you'd go spare? And because you are going spare?' Ginny snapped back, though more than a little apprehensive at the sudden rise in her brothers tempers.  
  
'Do Bill and Charlie know?' A shake of the head, no. 'Mum and Dad?' Another no. 'Good. We'll deal with this.'  
  
'Fred, George,' Ginny said warningly, hand gripping her wand. 'What are you going to do?'  
  
'Don't know yet,' George told her, retreating to the fire to get his cloak, while Fred pulled on his own. 'But I'm sure inspiration will strike.' Ginny sighed, she had hoped not to do this. She pulled out her wand.  
  
'Petrificus Totalus,' she cried out. At that instant, both redheads froze completely, Fred caught mid-stride and now unbalanced. Ginny winced as he hit the wooden floor, hard. George was standing by the fire and he was just frozen, though his eyes now held a measure of surprise, shock, and a touch of anger.  
  
Ginny closed and magically locked the door behind her, then set off for the school at a dead run. She wasn't sure how long the spell would hold them and she didn't want to caught before they calmed down.  
  
They were already pissed off as well she thought. She ran even faster.  
  
So did you laugh did you cry, on memories gone by? Never mind, my mind is on a loop-de-loop around Mars. The planet dearies, not the choccie bar. Tell me what you think then go read another and forget all about, until the next update.  
  
Bye! 


	10. A little deduction

DISCLAIMER: Characters, except Rebecca Weasley and any others I may have inadvertently created, do not belong to me. They belong the Great One, J.K. Rowling.  
  
AUTHUR: ihadanepiphany.  
  
This is one of the vital scenes, both to the plot and to whole making sense of the story. Basically if this scene wasn't in, then much of the rest wont make all that much sense im sure. That's not to say that you have to learn the whole bloody thing off, just to read and of course review. Basically, Lucius finds out, in the worst possible way.  
  
Heheheheheheheh!  
  
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It was Christmas Day. Draco had elected to stay in Hogwarts for the holidays, as had Rebecca. After the feast, they sat in the Slytherin common room, not saying much at all.  
  
There was a loud bang as the door slammed, they barely heard it and didn't acknowledge it. The sound of two pissed off people stamping their way down a flight of stairs arguing loudly all the way, again no interest to them. There was a horrible little sound, like someone already in a towering rage just seeing something that put his anger circuits on overload, that managed to get through to their survival instincts.  
  
Draco looked up and brushed Rebeccas hair out of his eyes. The girl felt his heart-rate accelerate even more.  
  
'Dad, er hi,' he said, sounding panicky. 'Um, this is unexpected,' he added easing out from under Rebecca and rearranging his clothing, she sat up and straightened her robes, face matching her hair. Lucius Malfoy stood silently, arms folded across his chest, taking deep breaths that told anyone who cared to know that he was holding onto his considerable rage by his fingernails.  
  
'So I see,' he ground out, biting off each word in a voice more level than the American prairies. 'I came here to find out why you didn't show up last night when we expected you at the ball.' Draco gave a start and went from a vivid red to a deathly pale, he had forgotten completely. 'But now I think I can see why,' he continued, staring at Rebecca who despite her mortification and severely rumpled robes lifted her chin and met his gaze straight-on. 'And who are you?' he growled.  
  
'Rebecca Weasley,' she answered firmly. Lucius was so still he could have been carved from stone.  
  
'Weasley,' he snarled. 'I should have known, trying to get your hands on some decent money are you? No big surprise.' Rebecca gasped and went even redder with rage. Draco glared at his father, fists clenched. 'I can see that you're having an effect on my son,' Lucius sneered looking at him. 'Well done, you've fooled him completely as to your real intentions. But I can see through you, you little hussy and you wont get your filthy little hands on the Malfoy fortune. Ever.'  
  
Rebecca growled deep in her throat and jumped to her feet, hands curled into claws. Draco grabbed her before she flew at Lucius, who stood there with a sneer.  
  
'Don't Rebecca,' Draco said to her. 'Don't let him get to you, you know that's what he wants.'  
  
'Then we'll both get our wish wont we?' she growled back straining against his hold.  
  
Lucius watched in contempt as his son bent his head to hers and spoke softly to her until she lowered her fists. She nodded and grabbed her cloak, not looking at Lucius as she passed, staring stonily ahead of her and slamming the door so hard that dust drifted down from the candelabra on the high ceiling.  
  
Draco turned his attention towards his father, flat rage showing in his eyes.  
  
'How dare you?' he snarled. 'How dare you? You come in here and make those accusations and call Rebecca a gold-digging hussy? You have no right…'  
  
'I have no right?' Lucius cut him off with a sharp gesture. 'You stand there in the clothes I paid for, with the name I gave you and you talk to me about rights? You consort with a Weasley, a Weasley Draco of all families! And you tell me what I dare and dare not do?!' Lucius was shaking with murderous rage and his fists were coming dangerously close to striking his son. 'To miss the ball was bad enough, but to do so because you're shagging a Weasley?'  
  
'It's not like that!' Draco shouted.  
  
'Oh you haven't done her yet?' Lucius shot back. 'I'm disappointed in you Draco.'  
  
'Get used to it!' Draco hissed, stalking past him and grabbing his cloak.  
  
'Where the hell do you think you're going!' Lucius roared as he stormed out the door. 'Get back here! I'm not finished with you!' An echoing slam and a fall of dust and plaster was the only reply.  
  
'Well that went well,' said the hitherto silent companion to Lucius Malfoy. He spun around jabbing a finger into the speakers chest.  
  
'Why didn't you tell me before Severus,' he hissed through clenched teeth. 'Don't try to tell me that you didn't know. It was right under your nose.' Snape looked from Lucius's hand to his face, eyes two chips of frozen granite.  
  
'I suggest that you back off Lucius,' Snape growled quietly. 'Unless you want a potion in your food that will cause your body to destroy itself one cell layer of tissue at a time.' Lucius stared into Snapes cold eyes and lowering his fist, backed away.  
  
'Smart choice,' Snape sneered, before turning and leaving the common room, Lucius reluctantly trailing behind.  
  
The door slammed again and there was silence for two minutes. Then a first year peeked out from behind a chair.  
  
'Are they gone?'  
  
So ya like? Ya didn't like? Review anyway! Need reviews! Story will go purposely bad, er sorry, WORSE if no reviews show. Thanks for yours Red Vampirey Slayer person, keep it up! 


	11. A little sappiness (its chapter 11 OMIGO...

DISCLAIMER: Characters, except Rebecca Weasley and any others I may have inadvertently created, do not belong to me. They belong the Great One, J.K. Rowling.  
  
AUTHUR: ihadanepiphany.  
  
A short little piece of sap. I'm sorry but you have to have scenes like this a couple of times, it cant be angsty all the bloody time. Basically, true feelings are revealed um, yeah that's it. Read review all that biz. You don't need me to tell you every time do you?  
  
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Draco stepped out into the grounds shivering in the freezing air despite his heavy cloak. The Ravenclaw second-year had said that Rebecca had gone in this direction, but where?  
  
Draco heard a thin shriek and he spun in that direction just in time to see a small shape hurtling through the air and into the Forbidden Forest. It came from a little patch of ground near Hagrids hut. Draco decided to swallow his pride and ask Hagrid if he knew where Rebecca went.  
  
He had just reached the hut when Hagrid opened the door and came out. He stopped in surprise at seeing Draco. 'You want Rebecca do you?' he said gruffly. Draco nodded. Hagrid pointed, then said; 'I'd wait a bit if I was you, she's been throwing gnomes about for the last ten minutes and she's still cursing at the top of her lungs.' Hagrid looked at Draco. 'What did you do?'  
  
'My father came visiting,' Draco replied bluntly. 'He doesn't approve.' Hagrids eyebrows rose a bit, then went back into the hut, muttering about getting more things for her to be doing. Draco stared at the ground for a moment then sighed and went to where the gnomes seemed to flying from.  
  
Hagrid was right, Rebecca was indeed yelling as she threw the gnomes into orbit. He caught a few references to himself and paused, wondering whether to risk his neck and other parts. But he trudged on and finally saw her. She was standing watching the latest gnome land in the middle of the Whomping Willow. Several were already entangled in the vicious trees branches and the tree itself was going nuts.  
  
'Having fun?' Draco asked, ready to run for it. She spun and glared at him.  
  
'What do you think?' she growled. 'I just called a hussy by the father of the guy I'm with and he thinks that I'm only with you for your money. Tell me Draco, how do you think I feel?'  
  
'Um, yeah gnomes are good,' he admitted. 'I think you've cleared this spot though,' he added, looking around. He spied a little one hiding behind a bush, shaking. Draco decided to leave it alone.  
  
'I mean, he doesn't even wait to see what I'm like,' Rebecca ranted not listening to him. 'He just assumes that I don't care for you, just your damn money!' There was a string of foul expletives that Draco had never heard before, calling into question Lucius Malfoys heritage, sexual preferences and activities, genetic properties, species, and something that he couldn't understand but had to admit sounded damn good. 'He's so blinded by his goddamn wealth that he can't imagine anyone else being in the least bit interested in anything other than money!' Rebecca went on as she crouched and leapt for a lone gnome, holding it firmly as it wriggled in a completely ungnome-like manner. She grabbed it by the hair and swung it in large circles then let go and it soared up into the air and down into the Forbidden Forest, its thin scream tracking it as it went. She pulled in a deep breath and let it out in a sigh, all the tension suddenly leaving her. Draco cautiously came up behind her and put his arms around her. She turned around and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
'Don't think about it,' Draco whispered in her ear. 'That's why he said all those things, because he's, whatever it is you said. He and my mother didn't marry for love; they were forced into it because it suited the families. I'm not making excuses for him,' he went on hurriedly when he felt Rebecca stiffen again. 'But he's always put the family first above everything and now, he just cant grasp the idea that I might not.'  
  
'Might?' Rebecca repeated half-jokingly.  
  
'Well, you know if I was given the right encouragement,' Draco replied offhandedly.  
  
'What, like earlier?' Draco half-laughed, half-groaned as she giggled.  
  
'If I recall we got interrupted,' he said after a moment, as Rebecca lifted her head from his shoulder.  
  
'That's right,' she frowned. 'Can you remember why?'  
  
'I have no idea,' he answered, smiling as he bent his head for a kiss.  
  
Hagrid came out of his hut and saw them, standing in the ice and snow, in each other arms. He slammed the door as hard as he could without pulling the house down and coughed loudly at the same time. The couple jumped and sprang apart then laughed and waved at him before turning and walking back to the school, arm-in-arm.  
  
That night Harry was on his way back to the Gryffindor Tower and cut through the Great Hall. He heard a voice mutter various curses and then after them, damp squeaks. He looked around a pillar and saw Draco Malfoy pointing his wand at about five big rats that were milling around him. As he watched, he heard him hiss a spell and something red flashed out of the end of the wand and hit a rat, which immediately shed all its hair and grew huge boils.  
  
'Is there a reason for that?' he asked, sauntering out from behind the pillar but ready to leap back at a moments notice. Draco looked at him and Harry saw the rage and frustration in the Slytherins eye. He gripped his own wand reflexively.  
  
'The best,' Draco said at last. He muttered something else and all the rats went back to their pre-rage attack state and scurried off as fast as their feet could carry them. 'The need to vent and yet the inability to take it out on a human being.'  
  
'Yeah that would explain it,' Harry agreed warily. The blonde youth didn't notice his answer instead he started pacing up and down, swiping at the air with his wand. 'Um, do I want to know what happened?'  
  
'Oh you know,' Draco said airily, shrugging. 'My father arrived, that's a male parent in case you don't know Potter,' he added. Harry shrugged off the reflexive nastiness; it seemed to him like Draco's heart wasn't in it. 'And he walked in, while Rebecca and I were busy, he hit the roof, so did Rebecca, so did I and that's about it.' Draco suddenly lunged and punched a stone pillar with all his might, his sudden yelp of angry pain echoed throughout the Great Hall. Other than that, he ignored it.  
  
'But that's not all is it?' Harry asked, looking at Dracos fist, which was already swelling.  
  
'Its not that my father walked in, its not even that he doesn't approve of, us,' Draco confessed quietly. 'It's what he said, about her, about us.' Draco had stopped and now stood still, staring at a Slytherin standard. Harry didn't quite know what to say.  
  
'So what are you going to do?' Draco shrugged helplessly and for a moment, he looked like a lost little boy. Harry felt like the world was turned on its head looking at him. 'You're not going to…'  
  
'What, break up with her?' Draco snapped, swinging to face him. 'Because of what he said? You are joking Potter.' Harry felt more on firm ground as Dracos temper rose. 'Just because he is too small-minded to accept that Rebecca and I are together and are going to stay together doesn't mean I'm going to give her up.' Harry backed up suddenly as Draco balled his working fist, the other being a lump of purple and black flesh. 'If you think that I'm going to give up the best thing that's ever happen to me because he's got his head so far up his arse that it comes out the other end, you've got another fecking thing coming!'  
  
'Yeah, that's, that's great Draco,' Harry stammered, finding himself backed up against a wide pillar. 'Have you told Rebecca all this?'  
  
'What do you think?'  
  
'Um, no?'  
  
'Yep.'  
  
'Ah.'  
  
'Yep.'  
  
'So why don't you?' Draco sent him a withering glance.  
  
'Oh please.' Harry raised his eyebrows. 'Well, how can I?' Harry rolled his eyes. 'Don't start that Potter! Of course I'm gonna tell her!'  
  
'When?'  
  
'When?'  
  
'Yes, when? When are you gonna tell your girlfriend that you love her?'  
  
'Well, I don't know, when, exactly.'  
  
'Right.'  
  
'I mean it Potter.'  
  
'Sure.'  
  
'I will!'  
  
'Yep,' Harry said as he started for the door.  
  
'Well how can I?'  
  
'What s that supposed to mean? You tell her, plain and simple. You say four little words, like so. "Rebecca. I love you." Simple as that.'  
  
'Oh please!'  
  
'What, afraid that your father would disapprove?'  
  
'Don't be daft!' Draco scoffed, a little too quickly. He sighed suddenly and stared at the wall. 'What am I going to do?' he asked no-one in particular. Harry stood by the door, hand on the door-handle.  
  
'You know, if you really loved her, you wouldn't care what anybody thinks. You'd only care about her.'  
  
'Yeah,' Draco sighed. Harry stood by the door for a moment longer in the silence then slipped away, leaving the young Malfoy to his thoughts.  
  
Jay-Cee I would have thought you knew me better than to have to ask, who else could he have been modelled on? No comment for the current state of Malfoy, still not sure on him. Maybe you can tell me.  
  
Red Vampirey Slayer I am aware of what stage Jay-Cees story is at, but thanks for the heads up anyway. Keep up with the reviews, you and Jay-Cee seen to be the only ones bothering! So I'll quit this if you don't. You've been warned!  
  
But for everyone else, read and review please. 


	12. A little apology, once more with feeling

DISCLAIMER: Everything in this story, bar the plot itself and Rebecca Weasley, belong to J. K. Rowling. All praise Rowling.  
  
AUTHOR: ihadanepiphany  
  
This goes out to friend Jay-Cee, the only reason why I'm continuing to post this is becos she hates trawling through emails when reading stories. So I hope you have an easier time Jay.  
  
Everyone else, I really couldn't care less anymore, read if you want, review if you want, don't care anymore. Only with this piece though, standard rules apply with all others, understood? Yay.  
  
Now, on with the story!  
  
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Harry walked into the Gryffindor tower. Lost in thought, he didn't notice anyone as he flopped into a chair by the fire.  
  
'Hey,' a low voice murmured. His head snapped up and his eyes searched the shadows. He espied Hermione curled up in one of the chairs opposite him, a cup of hot liquid in her hands, Crookshanks asleep on her legs.  
  
'Hey,' he replied, relaxing somewhat. He cleared his throat, feeling very awkward. He suddenly realized how stupid that was. He couldn't believe that he felt awkward around Hermione, his best friend for the past five odd years. Evidently she felt the same because sighed loudly.  
  
'This is stupid,' she stated. 'Look Harry.' She sat up, swinging her feet to the ground, somehow managing to not dislodge Crookshanks. 'I'm sorry, but I cant do this. I still.' She sighed; hanging her head and Harry's heart went out to her. 'I still love Ron. I can't go with you. I'm so sorry but I just can't.'  
  
'Hey calm down,' Harry told her, alarmed at the slight catch in her voice. 'Don't worry, I don't want to go with you either.' Thinking about that line later, Harry wondered what would have happened if Hermione had taken that line the wrong way, but she didn't seem to notice it at all. 'You're my best friend and I know that you love Ron.' He smiled at her and she smiled weakly back. 'And besides, I've got my eye on someone else.'  
  
'Oh yeah? Who?'  
  
'Now that would be telling,' Harry said, who didn't know himself. He laughed as Hermione made a face at him. They grinned at each other, and were once again just best friends. 'So we good?' he asked after a moment.  
  
'Yeah,' Hermione answered. 'We good.'  
  
'Give us a hug so,' Harry said, holding his arms wide. Hermione laughed but did, feeling that she could relax again at last.  
  
'You okay?' Harry murmured. Hermione nodded and yawned. 'Hey, no sleeping on my shoulder,' he said mock-angrily. 'Up to bed with you.'  
  
'Yes sir Sergeant sir,' Hermione replied yawning again and picking up Crookshanks, she went to bed. 'Goodnight.'  
  
'Goodnight.  
  
Harry sat beside the fire for a while, content for the first time in weeks. He felt secure again, not bobbing around on his own anymore.  
  
His mood soured as he thought of Rebecca and Draco. It was obvious how the pair felt about each other; he had Hagrids testimony and his own experience to prove that. But how long would it last? No. How long could it last? He had heard details of Lucius Malfoys response to his son's choice of girlfriend and he knew that no mater how long Draco tried to deny it, his family and its name would haul him back eventually. Men like Lucius placed great faith in such things, rarely for no reason.  
  
There was also the trouble with Rebeccas' family. He knew from experience that the twins' tempers tended to outstrip their hair and the others were no different. How would they take the news of their newest daughter going with a Malfoy? Arthur would definitely go spare, Molly almost certainly would and he didn't know Bill or Charlie enough to be sure, though he doubted Percy would be far behind his brothers. Harry shook his head; he knew well that when the twins found out his recent bout with Voldemort wouldn't seem like much in comparison  
  
He stared into the fire, wishing for a Pensieve like Dumbledores so that he could rest his head.  
  
Draco picked at the bandage on his hand. The ointment Madame Pomfrey had put on to heal the bruising had to be held on, hence the bundle attached to his wrist. But he could feel it working and by tomorrow there would be no sign that he had tried to smash a stone pillar barehanded, though no doubt he would still taste the Skele-gro.  
  
If only the reason for it was so easy to solve. It wasn't that he had no feelings for Rebecca, quite the opposite. It's the way that everyone tried to get between them that made him break three bones in his hand.  
  
Why couldn't people just leave them alone? Couldn't they see that they were happy together? No, of course not. Because he was a Malfoy and she was a Weasley. The next person to say that to him would wind up in Fangs dinner bowl.  
  
He thought back to what Potter had said to him. It was easy for him to say, the worst he had ever faced was Voldemort on a bad hair day. He'd never had to tell his girlfriend that he loved her, and turn his back on his father and his family because of it. Briefly, Draco wondered if Harry was getting the better deal, then dismissed the thought with a rueful smile.  
  
He yawned hugely and checked his watch, which everyone thought was wizard- made, deciding to go to bed. He had Snape first thing and the professor's preference for him did not run to falling asleep in his cauldron.  
  
He left the Slytherin common room and climbed the stairs to bed, as behind him the last log in the fire collapsed into embers.  
  
Two days later, the students who stayed in Hogwarts were sitting in the Great Hall, having just finished their respective lunches, when Dumbledore stood at the staff table.  
  
'A surprise has been arranged for you,' he called out, getting the immediate and total attention of all and sundry. Not as many had stayed on this holidays as there usually was, barely a third of the total table space was occupied, but somehow the noise level was even more than it was during term time. One of the imponderables of the universe, as Fred once put it. 'Seeing as this year we are strangely blessed with students of considerable acoustic talents.' Ginny and Rebecca were trying to master an invisibility charm that consisted of staring hard whatever's in front of you and turning red. The two Weasleys were blushing so hard that they're hair was outdone by their faces. Two days before, they had taken a few too many Butterbeers and wandered the corridors laughing like lunatics and singing like magpies. Dumbledore however seemed to take no notice of them, instead looking at the Ravenclaw table where a first-year was also trying the new invisibility charm, he however could actually sing when persuaded. 'With this in mind,' Dumbledore continued. 'When Wizard Radio asked me if they could make a show here, a radio karaoke show, I said alright.' There were mixed responses to this, a few gasps from those who knew they would be persuaded to have a go, sniggers from those who would laugh at them and smirks from those who knew they would only gaze upon it with contempt. There were a few here and there who became suddenly thoughtful, the Ravenclaw first-year was one, some Slytherins, a couple of Hufflepuffs and Rebecca Weasley.  
  
'We should have a go,' she said to Ginny. She had, flying in the face of every protocol that existed in the Slytherin house, sat at the Gryffindor table with her sister. Ginny choked on a mouthful of juice and Rebecca thumped her on the back till she recovered.  
  
'Go off to hell,' she gasped.  
  
'Oh come on,' Rebecca coaxed. 'It'll be great fun.'  
  
'It'll be bloody humiliating! There is no way I am singing karaoke!' Ginny hissed.  
  
'There will of course be a prize for the winner,' Dumbledore stated when the murmurs died down. 'This is a radio karaoke competition so the amount is rather more than what I would give.' Dumbledore paused, eyes twinkling and the assembled students waited to hear the prize with bated breath. 'The prize,' he said slowly. 'Is.' There were a few creaks on the edge of hearing as the audience hung on the edge of their seats. 'Five hundred gold sickles.' There was a breathless pause, then the discussions began again, louder than ever. 'Oh and one more thing,' Dumbledore called out before he sat down. 'The competition is tomorrow after dinner.' He sat down.  
  
'Five hundred sickles,' Ginny gasped. 'Five hundred sickles! Are they mad?'  
  
'I don't care,' Rebecca said flatly. 'But I care about that money. If we could win that,' she said wistfully. Ginny raised her eyebrow and looked at her.  
  
'If?' she repeated incredulously. 'What if? There is no if. We are winning that money.' Now it was Rebecca's turn to look at her in astonishment.  
  
'Huh? Not five minutes ago you were saying that there was no more that you would even sing.'  
  
'Yeah well, that before I found out about the money.'  
  
'There are so many ways that sentence can used. Hey,' she cried as Ginny slapped her upside the head. 'Alright! Alright, we'll do it.'  
  
'And win it,' Ginny added, getting up from the table. 'But what song will we do?'  
  
'Well what about the one we learned from Hermione?' Rebecca asked, following her.  
  
'The duet? Why not. We'll have to practise, a lot, its only tomorrow.'  
  
'Yeah. So lets get on it then.'  
  
The next day, the Great Hall seemed crowded despite the small numbers. A small group of Wizards and Witches from Wizard Radio had arrived and set up in one corner and the students were either clustered around there trying to impress them or were scattered around the hall, practising.  
  
Ginny and Rebecca stood off to the side, doing neither. They were watching the potential singers.  
  
'He's gonna be tough,' Ginny muttered, indicating the Ravenclaw first-year who was doing warm-up exercises on his voice. Rebecca nodded.  
  
'So are they.' A group of four Slytherin girls were practicing their choice a new novelty song that was currently popular.  
  
'Other than them, there's nobody really.'  
  
'Yeah, but how will our song go down?' Ginny sighed. It was a Muggle song that they learned from Hermione during the Halloween. Rebecca shrugged.  
  
'Too late now,' she said as they were called forward for their turn.  
  
Draco stood at the wall by the door, watching the competition with his customary sneer, surrounded by the Slytherins as per usual. He watched as Rebecca and Ginny Weasley took up their places in front of the karaoke radio people. He hoped they wouldn't make too big a fool of themselves.  
  
They started with no hesitation, a song familiar to noone but the Muggle- born. They sang it together, facing off, making a performance of it.  
  
"You need to give it up  
  
Had about enough  
  
Its not hard to see  
  
The boy is mine"  
  
Draco started when he heard that, looking around guiltily. He began to pay more attention to them.  
  
"Im sorry that you  
  
Seem to be confused  
  
He belongs to me  
  
The boy is mine"  
  
Harry frowned as the girls got into it. Surely Rebecca wasn't saying what he thought she was saying. He glanced across at Draco who was looking at them with suspicion mixed with surprise.  
  
Rebecca sang out loud and clear, while Ginny went into clear no-comment mode.  
  
"I think its time we got this straight  
  
Sit and talk face to face  
  
There is no way could mistake  
  
Him for your man are you insane"  
  
Hermione nodded and smiled as she saw the looks on Harrys and Dracos faces, Rebecca was right, it was the perfect song.  
  
Ginny took over then, getting right in Rebeccas face, who backed off.  
  
"You see I know that you may be  
  
Just a bit jealous of me  
  
But you're blind if you cant see  
  
That his love is all in me"  
  
Draco shifted uncomfortably as the song went on, he could tell what the song was originally meant to say, but he could also see what the Weasleys were trying to make it say and he wasn't sure if he liked it or not.  
  
Rebecca came back, singing quietly but distinctly, somehow making her voice carry more than Ginnys louder verse.  
  
"You see I tried to hesitate  
  
Didn't wanna say what he told me  
  
He said without me couldn't make it  
  
Through the day aint that a shame"  
  
Ginny jumped in then, beating Rebecca back.  
  
"Well maybe you misunderstood  
  
cause I cant see how he could  
  
Wanna change something that's so good  
  
Because my love is all it took"  
  
Harry nodded slowly, realization dawning and he glanced at Draco, wondering if he got it.  
  
The two girls sang the chorus together, each using it to snipe at the other.  
  
"You need to give it up  
  
Had about enough  
  
Its not hard to see  
  
The boy is mine  
  
Im sorry that you  
  
Seem to be confused  
  
He belongs to me  
  
The boy is mine"  
  
Ginny took over, making herself sound exasperated and more than slightly pissed off.  
  
"Must you do the things you do  
  
Keep on acting like a fool"  
  
Draco flinched.  
  
"You need to know it me not you  
  
And it if you didn't know it girl its true"  
  
Hermione grinned, the emphasis on the first two lines was a nice touch.  
  
Rebecca came back, still quiet, but getting more pissed off as she went.  
  
"I think that you should realize  
  
And try to understand why  
  
He is a part of my life  
  
I know its killing you inside"  
  
The other students were staring, engrossed by the staged battle. Some knew the real meaning behind it, some didn't but the performance had then them enraptured.  
  
Ginny nearly yelled her next lines, gesturing as if in a fury.  
  
"You can say what you wanna say  
  
What we have you cant take  
  
From the truth you cant escape  
  
I can tell the real from the fake"  
  
Rebecca finally seemed to loose her cool, becoming just as agitated as her sister.  
  
"When will you get the picture  
  
You're the past Im the future  
  
Get away its my time to shine  
  
And if you didn't know it the boy is mine"  
  
Both girls sang the chorus again, letting loose at each other completely. Hermione wondered absently if they would really come to blows cos it certainly looked it to her.  
  
"You need to give it up  
  
Had about enough  
  
Its not hard to see  
  
The boy is mine  
  
Im sorry that you  
  
Seem to be confused  
  
He belongs to me  
  
The boy is mine"  
  
Draco stared at his girlfriend and her sister, not knowing what to feel. From the song itself, they were going on about a two-timing bloke, from the way they sang it and the events passed, it was about them, Rebecca and Draco and Rebecca was saying that Draco was hers and that was that. Which one really applied was what was causing the confusion, and not just to himself he realized, taking a look at the audience.  
  
There was half a beat of silence, when the girls backed away from each other a few paces can circled each other. When they sang together, it was almost like a posted challenge.  
  
"You cant destroy this love I've found  
  
Your silly games I wont allow  
  
The boy is mine without a doubt  
  
You might as well throw in the towel  
  
What makes you think that he wants you  
  
When Im the one who brought him to  
  
This special place that's in my heart  
  
Cos he was my love right from the start"  
  
Rebecca's voice sang that last line out loud and clear, and Ginny lowered her head in defeat. There was a moments breathless silence, then the Great Hall erupted in a cacophony of cheers, applause, and whistles. The girls bowed, grinning like idiots and walked back to their places. Dracos eyes met Rebeccas for a few seconds and he nodded, she smiled faintly back then looked away.  
  
About an hour later, one of the judges stood up and called for quiet.  
  
'Now then,' he said as the conversations died down. 'After much deliberations, we have come to a decision. Though there have been many fine entries and a lot of talent evident in everybody, sadly there can only be one winner.' As he paused dramatically, someone down the back called out:  
  
'So who won then?' The judge harrumphed at the interruption but picked up a piece of parchment just the same.  
  
'The winners are.' Another dramatic pause, this time uncommented upon. 'Ginny and Rebecca Weasley with "the Boy Is Mine"'  
  
Cheers and applause broke out form both the Gryffindor and Slytherin camps, for once united in celebrations. Then the members copped on to themselves and they stopped, glaring at each other. Undaunted, Rebecca and Ginny walked up to the judges, shook hands, got the money and walked back to their places. Then they started shrieking and jumping around.  
  
Draco grinned at his sarcastic girlfriend jumping around like a four-year- old. He was glad they won it, though he would only admit it to her.  
  
Harry and Hermione grinned at each other and started clapping again. This time the whole school took it up and the Great hall echoed.  
  
Draco stayed until they persuaded Ginny and Rebecca to do an encore and slipped out quietly about halfway through. Hermione noticed and slipped out after him.  
  
'Hey,' she said, catching him up. He turned and saw her.  
  
'Granger, how nice to see you.'  
  
'Lets dispense with the niceties okay? Look,' she sighed and stared Draco in the eye. 'I don't know Rebecca that well but she is my best friends sister,' she started, the lie coming easily to her now. 'And I'm sure you've heard this before but you haven't from me.' Draco stayed silent, letting her have her say. 'Rebecca is able to deal with most of what people can throw at her, you know that yourself, but she's not as hard as she pretends to be.'  
  
'Is there a point to this Granger?' Draco asked in a bored tone.  
  
'Just one. You can hurt her easily though you may not think so Draco, and all I'm doing is giving you fair warning.'  
  
'So that if I do hurt her you have no problems with turning me into a frog?' Draco said. Hermione gave him a funny look, her head on one side.  
  
'You think I'm warning you about me?' She laughed softly, sending sudden chills down the youths spine. 'I'm warning you about her. You see I've seen her in a temper and that was over something small. Should you hurt her, I don't think there'll be enough left of you to fill a hoover bag.' She grinned coldly. 'And that's before the rest of the Weasleys and Harry and I step in. So for your own sake, I suggest you watch your step.'  
  
Hermione gave Draco one last amused laugh before turning to go back to the Great Hall. Draco slowly continued on to the Slytherin common room.  
  
That was one angle he hadn't thought of.  
  
Yeah Jay, I know that Ginnys part still sounds odd, but I'm not writing a filk here. In the mean time, kudos on your fic I wanna see conas a briseann said suas! Hehe! It's a spoiler so I put it in Irish, sue me! No don't really, for your own health and ability to speak. Look at my email address girl! Anyway, rant over. Do review. 


	13. A little bit of fisticuff and noble-ness

DISCLAIMER: Everything in this story, bar the plot itself and Rebecca Weasley, belong to J. K. Rowling. All praise Rowling.  
  
AUTHOR: ihadanepiphany  
  
Here we are, the Fred and George beat up Draco bit. I had fun writing this I can tell you! Not very good at writing fight scenes I'm afraid, but sure anyway. A little noble-ness and family-fighting as well. Do enjoy wont you?  
  
And review! Don't forget the reviews!  
  
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Fred and George walked into the Great Hall. The spell Ginny had put on them had worn off after a few hours but they had been too busy before now to do anything to Draco. Now with the shop closed they had all day.  
  
Draco was joking and laughing with Goyle and Crab when he turned a corner and froze, nearly knocked off his feet by Crab bumping into him.  
  
'Goddamn!' he hissed quietly, watching the two redheads stride purposefully towards the Slytherin common room. 'Damn damn damn.' He lead Crab and Goyle back the way they came, heading to the common room by another path.  
  
Fred and George took up stations on either side of the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the common room, the way they made themselves comfy on the stone walls told others that they weren't planning on going anywhere.  
  
A group of Slytherins strode towards the pair; their laughter and conversation growing more forced as they approached until they finally mumbled the password and slunk past silently. The stonefaced Weasleys didn't look twice at them.  
  
Draco saw this and cursed even more. He had just gotten back in Rebeccas good books and he knew damn well that fighting her brothers would be a mile backwards into a midden. Beside him Goyle shifted his feet, not knowing why they weren't just kicking the Weasleys twin butts out of the school. Crab had a few more brain cells that were on talking terms with each other and so just stayed still, waiting.  
  
'Come on,' Draco snarled at last. 'Lets get out of here.' Even though his knuckles were white as he gripped his wand, he turned on his heel and stalked to the Great Hall. He wondered where to find more rats.  
  
Fred noticed Draco looking around the corner, though he gave no sign. He saw the youth's eyes narrow and he readied himself for a fight, but to his surprise he heard Crab and Goyle lumber off in another direction.  
  
'Looks like the blonde ferret has decided to bounce off,' he said to George, though he kept his eyes front.  
  
'Really?' George asked, not looking at his twin either. 'She's got him whipped already?' He shrugged. 'Should we follow?'  
  
'Damn right we should follow.' The twins took off after Malfoy, moving swiftly. They emerged in the Great Hall where they saw Draco leaning against a pillar, chatting with a group of Slytherins.  
  
'Malfoy!' George yelled, storming across to him. Draco raised his blonde head and smirked at the furious pair.  
  
'Yes? Can I help with something?' he asked calmly, though the Slytherins melted from around him. He stood leaning against the pillar, arms loosely crossed against his chest, one foot resting on the pedestal. 'The door perhaps?' The twins stood in front of his, blocking off escape, but his only response was to smirk wider, even though blood was roaring in his ears.  
  
'We want to know what's going on?' Fred growled. Draco shrugged.  
  
'Many things. Can you be more specific? Or do you prefer getting general answers?'  
  
'Rebecca,' George snapped. 'What are you doing with Rebecca?'  
  
What amn't I doing with Rebecca leapt to Dracos mind but decided that he liked his skin.  
  
'Showing her a good time,' he replied coolly. 'Is that such a crime?' The twins snarled and would have leapt for Dracos throat but for two pairs of ham-sized palms slamming down onto their shoulders. George twisted around to see Crab and Goyle holding them back, though the heavy-set pair were struggling. Draco looked like he wanted to protest, but didn't say it. 'Let me guess why you're here,' he said quietly. 'You're here to kick my ass for going with your sister, then saying that if I didn't stop going with her, you'd kick my ass again. Am I right?' He sighed, looking away from them. 'Why do you assume that I'd hurt her? Mmm? Why does everyone assume that I'm only with her as a joke?'  
  
'Because you're a Malfoy.' George snapped. 'And she's a Weasley.' Draco's head snapped back to stare into the redheads eyes and George could see all the anger and frustration building.  
  
'And that's the reason?' Draco hissed. 'That's the only goddamn reason! Because of our names. If I wasn't a Malfoy and she wasn't a Weasley there would be no hassle, nobody would care at all.'  
  
'But because she is a Weasley,' Fred said, cutting him off. 'And you are a Malfoy, we care a great deal.' Draco stared at him for a long moment, then nodded slowly.  
  
'So I see.' He shrugged and stepped away from the pillar, into an open space. 'If you want it that way lads, then you'll have it that way. Let them go,' he told Crab and Goyle.  
  
'But Draco,' Crab protested.  
  
'Do it!' Crab and Goyle shared a look then reluctantly loosed their grip on the angry twins. They stepped away from them, circling the blonde youth.  
  
'No wands,' Fred said. 'A straight fistfight. One at a time,' he said, glancing at his twin who nodded reluctantly. Draco shrugged.  
  
'Makes no difference to me.' He watched as George stepped back out of the circle then turned to Fred. The redhead, grinned savagely at him then leapt forward with a right hook.  
  
Draco barely saw the punch coming but he managed to roll with it then caught Fred in the ribs with two jabs. Fred grunted but smashed a straight left into Dracos face. Draco stumbled and spat out blood from his split lip. Fred watched him warily until he straightened, then jumped in again and caught the youth in the stomach with an uppercut. All the air left Dracos lungs with a whoosh! and he fell to one knee, gasping. Fred walked to his twin and slapped his hand, George bounced into the circle.  
  
Draco looked up to see the group of Slytherins cheering him on, and he managed to get his feet under him and stand. George waited until he was steady on his feet and had his fists up. Then he stepped in and delivered a blow that sent Draco spinning to the floor, unconscious. The last thing he heard was someone shriek, 'What the hell do you think you're doing?!'  
  
Draco groaned and opened his eyes, he was lying in a bed in the hospital ward. He looked muzzily around, though his pounding headache soon made him lie back again.  
  
'Hey you,' Rebecca whispered, and he looked at her, smiling. That stopped when he realized that he had a split lip.  
  
'Hey you,' he whispered back. 'What am I doing in here?' he asked after a while.  
  
'You were knocked unconscious, remember?' Draco felt his jaw, yep it was still attached.  
  
'Just came back to me,' he groaned. Rebecca giggled softly and stroked his cheek. Thank you Weasleys, he thought distantly. 'How do I look?' he suddenly asked, checking his eyes for bruises. Rebecca laughed.  
  
'You look fine,' she assured him. 'Though you would have prize shiners without Madame Pomfreys expertise.' She laughed again and Draco somehow managed to laugh with her. He felt absolutely drained, and his head throbbed with each heartbeat.  
  
'Go back to sleep,' he heard Rebecca whisper. He nodded and closed his eyes. He felt her lips graze his forehead and he smiled slightly before drifting off to sleep.  
  
Rebecca stayed beside her boyfriends bedside for a few minutes, until she was sure that he had gone to sleep. Then she got up and quietly left the ward.  
  
Fred and George were sitting by the fire, playing Wizard Chess, when the shop door opened and slammed shut.  
  
'Hey we're closed,' George called out irritated. He got up and opened the adjoining door. 'I said we're closed.'  
  
'And I said to leave us alone, didn't I?' Rebecca snarled, pushing her brother inside. Fred got up his seat, suddenly wary. 'And you couldn't do that simple little thing could you? Could you?' Rebecca was more pissed off than Fred and George had ever seen, her wand was clutched in her hand, though kept to her side. The twins watched that hand like snakes, ready to leap if it suddenly aimed in their direction. 'You couldn't keep your goddamn noses out of it, you had go and beat the hell out of my boyfriend!'  
  
'But Rebecca,' Fred said. 'We did it for you.'  
  
'Don't give me that!' Rebecca yelled. 'You did it because it made you feel like men! Well done, the pair of ye! How dare you, how bloody dare you! You first march up to the school like its your godgiven right, beat my boyfriend unconscious and then turn around and try and tell me that it was all for my own good! Have you any idea how ludicrous that sounds?'  
  
'Its obvious to everyone what he's up to!' Fred shouted back, his own temper rising. 'He's only which you so he can get in your pants!'  
  
'No, that's why you go with girls!' Rebecca shouted. 'You're no saint yourself Fred Weasley!'  
  
'At least I don't feel shame in being called a Weasley,' Fred snarled. Georges head snapped around to stare at his twin in shock, Rebecca stared at him, aghast.  
  
'You think I'm ashamed?' she said.  
  
'Now hang on Fred,' George said, moving to his brother. 'That's going a bit far.'  
  
'Is it?' Fred said quietly, but with controlled anger. 'She shows up, acts like she's better than us, comes here and joins Slytherin then barely says hello to Ginny.'  
  
'Now hang on,' George snapped. But Fred ignored him.  
  
'And then,' he continued, advancing on the still shaken Rebecca. 'She gets together with Draco Malfoy. Draco Malfoy Rebecca! The one family that has caused ours the most harm. The son of Lucius Malfoy! Have you forgotten what side he's on?'  
  
'Draco is not his father,' Rebecca growled. 'And you can't hold him accountable for what he hasn't done.'  
  
'But how do you know?' Fred asked quietly, regarding his sister coldly. He turned away. 'Go back to your Slytherins Rebecca,' he said as he walked back to the fire. 'And your Malfoy.' He sat at the chessboard again, seemingly ignoring her. George looked at her sadly. She stood alone for a moment then turned to leave. She paused with her hand on the door handle.  
  
'Will you leave him alone?' she asked without turning around. George looked at Fred who nodded slightly after a moment.  
  
'Yes,' George said. 'As long as he leaves us alone.' Rebecca nodded sadly then, back straight; she walked out the door and back up to the school.  
  
She didn't see Fred go to the shop door and stare at her back, already regretting his hasty temper.  
  
'Well done Fred,' George said when he came back in. 'Very well done.'  
  
'Oh shut up,' he sighed falling back into his chair, putting his head in his hands. George leaned over him, not letting up.  
  
'No I will not shut up. Do you have any idea as to what you've done?' Fred didn't answer. 'You've gone and driven her even further into Draco's arms. Before we might have been able to talk some sense into her, now she'll stick with him if only to spite us.'  
  
'I didn't hear you complaining,' Fred reminded him. 'And you're the one who knocked him out.'  
  
'Only to stop the fight before he got really hurt. I could see it in your eyes Fred,' George said in a low voice. 'You would have beat him to a bloody pulp if I hadn't knocked him out. And you wouldn't have had a care over it.' Fred stayed silent. 'And now you've gone and given Rebecca a reason to turn out just like every other Slytherin up there. Once again bro, very well done.'  
  
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Stay tuned for the next instalment of epic proportions!! Give us a heads up when you update yours Jay, aight? Reviews are a must. Must a are reviews. How many other ways do I have to say it? 


	14. A little bit of jokes, fun, bitchiness a...

DISCLAIMER: Everything in this story, bar the plot itself and Rebecca Weasley, belong to J. K. Rowling. All praise Rowling.  
  
AUTHOR: ihadanepiphany  
  
Here you go, as promised. Enter a new character, but still J.K. Rowling. And by the way Jay, Rebecca IS mine, you only gave me idea I thought her up, she's mine! But if you ask nicely I'll let you borrow.  
  
Anyway, heres hospital ward and bed bit, Narcissa and Lucius bit and tower and Narcissa bit. I love writing Narcissa! She rules! Wonder can I write something about her, have to think about that.  
  
But sure, on with the show!  
  
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Rebecca stumbled into the ward, weeping. She stopped just inside the door, making herself stop crying, trying to think happy thoughts. Seeing her upset would only distress Draco, she reminded herself, and so she wiped the tears from her face and eyes and made her customary amused expression slide into place. Then she stepped out from the door and walked to her boyfriend's bedside. He was still fast asleep. She sat in the chair provided, gazing at him. Even when unconscious, he managed to look sarcastic and haughty. If only the others knew him the way she did, maybe then they would understand.  
  
'How's he doing?' Rebecca twisted in her chair to see Harry, standing by the door.  
  
'Madame Pomfrey says he'll be fine,' she replied as he walked in. 'Up and about by tomorrow.'  
  
'That's good.'  
  
'Yeah.'  
  
'Look, nothing excuses Fred and George's actions, but they were worried.' Rebecca looked at him, not saying anything. She had heard those words and ones like them so many times that they had lost all meaning. Sensing that, Harry gave it up.  
  
'So, how long before he can get on a broom?'  
  
'Huh?'  
  
'Gryffindor are playing Slytherin on Wednesday. You know, Quidditch?' he teased gently. 'I've been looking forward to kicking his ass again.'  
  
'I could hang the whole Gryffindor team out to dry right now Potter.' Harry and Rebecca looked to see Draco awake and looking offended.  
  
'Draco!' Harry cried in mock delight. 'How are you? How's the fist?'  
  
'Fist?' Rebecca frowned looking at Draco's hands. 'What's wrong with his fist?' Draco made frantic shut up shut up signals behind her back.  
  
'What?' Harry looked shocked, but happily so. 'You mean you got beat by the Weasley twins and you didn't get even one belt in?' He burst out laughing. 'God Draco you suck!'  
  
Draco flipped him the bird, though relieved at Harrys discretion.  
  
'Hey Potter,' he said, displaying the finger. 'Sit on this and rotate, you may enjoy it.'  
  
'Whatever man, you got your ass kicked. And they say the Muggle way never works.' He doubled over with laughter at the black look on the blondes face.  
  
'Brawls in the street are for those who don't know any better,' Draco sniffed haughtily.  
  
'Yeah,' Harry replied, heading for the door. 'The next question is how you lost to them.' He paused in the doorway. 'Make sure your healthy on the broom for Wednesday,' he told Draco. 'Winning over a cripple just isn't sporting you know.' He dodged out the door as Draco snatched up his wand, his laughter echoing back through the hallway.  
  
Rebecca looked at her boyfriend and was surprised to see a large grin on his face.  
  
'You enjoy fighting with Harry?' she asked. Draco shrugged.  
  
'Its amusing, this school would be very boring if it wasn't for those three, er two.'  
  
'Three?'  
  
'Yeah, Potter, Granger and Weasley, Ron,' he added, remembering who he was talking to.  
  
'Oh yeah, Ron went to Durmstrang.' Draco shrugged again, not very interested.  
  
'So how are you feeling?' Draco patted the bed beside him in reply, moving over to make room. Rebecca hesitated, then sat on the bed beside him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, making her lean against him.  
  
'I feel much better now,' he murmured into her ear.  
  
'That's great hun, but this cant be good for your injuries.'  
  
'What injuries,' he asked, nuzzling her neck.  
  
'You'll be the one to explain it to Madame Pomfrey if you get worse,' she broke off into giggles.  
  
'What's this?' Draco asked, scrutinising her neck. 'Are you ticklish?'  
  
'No,' she said, then giggled as Draco stroked her neck again. 'Stop it.'  
  
'Um, no.' He proceeded her tickle her mercilessly, the ward filling up with the laughter. 'Give up?' he asked, laughing.  
  
'Yes, alright I give up,' Rebecca gasped. 'I give up.'  
  
'Are you sure?' he said, still not letting up.  
  
'Draco,' the firm tone was rendered useless in the next spate of giggles. 'I'm sure, please stop.'  
  
'Well alright,' Draco said. Rebecca suddenly realized that she was lying on the bed with Draco leaning over her. 'Quite a predicament,' he said drolly.  
  
'Indeed,' she murmured. 'What can we do to get out of it?' Draco smiled.  
  
'I can think of one or two things.'  
  
Several minutes later Madame Pomfrey came in to check on her patient. A minute later and she was slipping around the door again, walking in the other direction, deciding to let them alone for once.  
  
It was near the end of the summer term. The tests were nearly finished with, Hermione and Rebecca sailing them as per usual, Harry and Draco just scraping through, also as per usual.  
  
Rebecca strolled out of Potions after the test, a smug look on her face. Draco emerged after her, looking slightly shaken.  
  
'That was fun,' she stated. Draco glared half-heartedly at her.  
  
'Oh yes, loads of fun. Especially that part where my cauldron blew up.'  
  
'I did tell you that too many Rowan berries are dangerous when mixed with Snakebite root.'  
  
'I lost count,' Draco grumbled. 'You were distracting me.'  
  
'Excuses, excuses,' she replied, popping her lollipop back in her mouth.  
  
Snape came out of the dungeon, locking the door behind him.  
  
'Don't you too have a class to get to?' he growled, seeing them getting comfy against the stone wall.  
  
'Free class,' Rebecca informed him, stepping away from Draco.  
  
'Then I suggest you use it to study,' Snape snapped. 'Lest you want to fail all of your exams.' Draco groaned imperceptively.  
  
'Alright Professor,' he sighed, taking Rebecca's hand. 'Lets go.' The couple made their way up to the Slytherin common room. Snape went to his office, wondering whether to slip a de-lusting potion into their food.  
  
Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy walked into the Great Hall.  
  
'You, Slytherin,' Lucius said, pointing at a sixth year. 'Go and get Professor Snape.' The Slytherin took in the Malfoys appearance and calculated the various jewelleries. He bowed his head.  
  
'Yes sir.' He went to get Snape.  
  
The Malfoys waited for the professors arrival with ill-concealed impatience. At last, the Potions teacher glided across the Great Hall to meet them.  
  
'Can I help you Lucius? How are you Narcissa, is something the matter?'  
  
'Severus,' Lucius growled. 'Why do I still hear that Draco is with that Weasley slut?'  
  
'Possibly because he is still with Ms Weasley,' he replied reasonably, if with a touch of ice. 'It is not my place to tell students who they may or may not go out with, regardless of what you would like.'  
  
'You are the Head of his House,' Lucius stated. 'You should be looking out for his best interests.'  
  
'This is not the place for discussion like this,' Snape told them firmly. He turned and walked off, leaving the Malfoys to follow him. They did.  
  
In his office, Snape sat behind his desk.  
  
'As for looking out for his best interests,' he said, while Lucius and Narcissa sat in the chairs opposite him. 'I could ask you the same question. What you want me to do,' he continued, taking no notice of Lucius' spluttering protests. 'Is to break up two young people who clearly adore each other.' He shook his head. 'Not only is it impossible, you know as well as I do how big this school is, how easy it is to get lost in it. I will not even consider it.'  
  
'But she's a Weasley!' Lucius hissed, going red in anger.  
  
'I don't care Lucius,' Snape said quietly, but with enough force to make him pay attention. 'All that will serve to do is cause unhappiness and ill- feeling all round. Besides, it wont last, let it run its own course,' he said. 'That way when it does end, Draco will have learned a valuable lesson and will bear no grudge against you, either of you. You interfere now and regardless of how it will turn out, he will blame you.' He paused, letting his words sink in. 'And the House of Malfoy will be without an heir.'  
  
'But she's,' Lucius began. Narcissa laid a hand on his arm and he fell silent.  
  
'Severus,' she said. 'Cant we be reasonable about this? All we want is what's best for Draco.' Severus leaned back in his chair, looking at the Malfoys over his steepled fingers.  
  
'Do you?'  
  
'I know it may not seem like it but, can we please talk with Draco before we make any decisions?' Severus shrugged. 'Thank you.' Snape sighed and got up.  
  
'If you'll follow me,' he said, heading out the door.  
  
Rebecca and Draco were playing Wizard Chess, when the Malfoys and Snape came into the common room. Besides them, the room was almost deserted. At the professor's signals, the three fourth-years in the corner retreated to the library, leaving them alone.  
  
Draco turned away from the board and faced his parents.  
  
'Hello mother, father,' he said coldly. 'Can I help you with anything?' Narcissa glanced at Rebecca who was looking at the trio with apprehension.  
  
'Well yes actually,' she said to her son. 'You can introduce me to the girl who I've heard so much about.' Rebecca eyed her warily, but pulled herself up straight and met her gaze squarely.  
  
'Um okay, Rebecca, this is my mother, Narcissa Malfoy. Mother this is my girlfriend, Rebecca Weasley.'  
  
'He did that so well didn't he?' Narcissa said, smiling at Rebecca.  
  
'Oh yes, you've trained him well,' Rebecca replied politely.  
  
'Alas, I fear that's the only thing we've succeeded in with him.' Rebecca frowned as Narcissa gazed regretfully at her son, who was regarding her with suspicion.  
  
'I don't see what you mean,' Rebecca said, not liking what she saw in the older woman's eyes. Narcissa turned to her, a look of mild surprise on her face, eyes as cold as glacier ice.  
  
'No? Oh, I supposed I should have guessed it. You're one of those romantic love people aren't you?' Narcissa laughed indulgently. 'You think that names and families don't matter because you love my son, mmm?'  
  
'Yes,' Rebecca stated simply. She was not about to be cowed by this walking prejudiced mannequin. Narcissa tutted softly.  
  
'My dear, how could I have expected you to understand? You are, after all who you are and we are, who we are. My son however,' she continued, swinging around to face him. 'Is a different matter. Draco, how could you turn your back on us this way? Is being a Malfoy, with the wealth and prestige and power that goes with it, really that bad?' Draco didn't say anything, his eyes flicking to his mother, to Rebecca to Lucius and back again.  
  
'You do realize that you're bribing your son?' Rebecca stated coldly, standing by Dracos shoulder.  
  
'As are you,' Narcissa shot back. 'Only difference is, we're offering what is his by right. You're offering what you cannot give. Well.' Her gaze dipped downwards then back up. 'Except for one thing.' Rebecca was shocked.  
  
'You,' she hissed, then got a grip on herself. 'Well done,' she said quietly. 'Well done. You've managed to insult me in the same way as Lucius but not make any obvious reference, very well done.' Narcissa ignored this, she looked at Draco who was shaking with rage.  
  
'And do you have anything to say, son?' she asked. 'No doubt you wish to add to this.'  
  
'Get out,' he growled. 'Get out of here.'  
  
'Don't speak to your mother that way,' Lucius said, stepping forward. 'Who do you think you are?'  
  
'Who do I think I am?' Draco asked, turning on his father. 'I'm not the one who barged in on two occasions to tell my son to break up with his girlfriend or else.'  
  
'Draco, how many times do you have to be told? You are not just anybody, you are the heir to one of the oldest and richest Wizarding families in Britain.' Lucius was nearly shouting at this stage. 'Were you to choose a suitable girl we would have no problem with it, but you haven't, have you?'  
  
'Suitable?' Draco laughed. 'Who would be suitable father? Huh? Voldemorts daughter maybe?'  
  
'Don't be ridiculous Draco,' Narcissa scolded. 'You're being completely selfish here.'  
  
'I'm being selfish?'  
  
'Yes, you haven't even considered what damage she'll do to the family. To the fortune.'  
  
'The?' Draco threw his hands in the air. 'Oh I see, I see. You think that because I'm with her, all the money will immediately vanish?'  
  
'All her family will want a piece of it.'  
  
'None of her family wants anything to with it! None! The only one of the them who is still friendly to her since they found out about us is her sister and she has her own plans!' That was a creative exaggeration, Fred and George had become reconciled to it, Percy Bill and Charlie had eventually come round and Molly and Arthur had wished them all the best, after a while. 'Bloody Hell mother! Is that all that you care about? Money?'  
  
'Once upon a time that's all you cared about as well,' Lucius reminded him.  
  
'Yeah, but then I met Rebecca.'  
  
'I believe Draco asked you to leave,' Snape said firmly. Lucius gazed at the professor incredulously.  
  
'What? Severus what are you playing at?'  
  
'You asked me if you would be able to speak with Draco, you did and he's made his opinions abundantly clear. Now leave.' The professors voice was calm and level, but he spoke with such authority that the Malfoys didn't argue further.  
  
Narcissa turned to her son before she left.  
  
'Remember who you are Draco Malfoy. You'll make the right choice,' she smiled serenely at Rebecca who stared stonily back, before sweeping up the stairs after her husband.  
  
'Where were we?' Draco said after a moment. He sat back at the board and a beat later Rebecca did as well. 'Your turn.'  
  
Rebecca moved her pieces, working on automatic. Draco could see that his parents' words had wounded her but couldn't think of a way to reassure her. Barely an hour later she got up abruptly and went to bed, leaving Draco to stare bleakly into the fire.  
  
The next morning, Rebecca slipped out of the common room before breakfast. She didn't want to face Draco until she had a few things sorted out in her head. She wandered around the corridors before climbing the staircase to the top of the tallest tower.  
  
She stared out at the sun-filled grounds, a wind ruffling her hair, and despite the heat from the sun, she felt cold. She had known for a while that Dracos parents would come back, she just hadn't thought that they'd be quite so, harsh.  
  
She heard the door close and she turned to see Narcissa Malfoy, gliding calmly toward her. She growled softly to herself and turned back to the view, determined not to make a scene.  
  
Narcissa rested her hands on the turret beside Rebecca, staring out at the grounds.  
  
'Well done,' she said, not looking away from the view. 'You've effectively turned my son against me.'  
  
'I had nothing to do with that,' Rebecca replied flatly, staring at the distant mountain peaks like they were a life-line. 'You're the ones who barged in here creating a fuss.'  
  
'So we are to blame for our sons altered personality?'  
  
'What? Do you even know Draco?'  
  
'And you're saying you do?'  
  
'I know him well enough to say that he hasn't changed at all,' Rebecca snapped, feeling her fists clench on their own. 'He's the same arrogant, sarcastic, hard-as-nails bastard, all I've done is let him show his other side.'  
  
'Aw,' Narcissa sneered. 'So you gave my son the freedom to truly express himself.' She laughed, a sound as harsh as nails on a blackboard. 'And I'm sure he's so grateful to you.'  
  
'Well, no wonder the Malfoys have such a name for ignorance,' Rebecca snarled.  
  
'Indeed? And what kind of name do the Weasleys have?' Rebecca snarled, but managed to turn back out to the view.  
  
'It always comes back to that doesn't it?' she stated when she'd got a grip on herself.  
  
'Of course,' Narcissa sounded surprised that Rebecca had only really grasped the fact now. 'That's the only thing that really matters.'  
  
'You know, just because you were made marry for convenience,' Rebecca said simply. 'Doesn't mean that Draco will.' Narcissa seemed to lose her control for a moment as she bared her teeth in a silent snarl. But then she turned it into a cold smile.  
  
'You know, just because you love him, it doesn't mean he loves you.'  
  
'Because such a concept is alien to all Malfoys, right?'  
  
'Don't be absurd,' Narcissa sneered. 'But have you truly realized what being a Malfoy really means? Have you really grasped the concept?'  
  
'What's to grasp?' Rebecca shot back, a little unnerved by the older woman's tone. 'I'm not with Draco because he's a Malfoy, regardless of what you and your husband think. I'm with Draco because he's Draco.'  
  
'And that trinket around your neck did nothing to aid you in your decision,' Narcissa said bluntly, reaching forward to grasp the ruby pendant around Rebeccas neck. Rebecca batted the woman's hand away; Narcissa retreated with a mocking smile. 'That's a family heirloom you know. Worth quite a lot.'  
  
'Draco gave it to me,' Rebecca snapped, putting the pendant under her robes. 'And that's why I treasure it, not because of how much I can get for it.'  
  
'Indeed,' Narcissa smiled indulgently. 'I have no problem with you being a gold-digger my dear; we've dealt with them before. What I have a problem with is that you seem to have affected my son to a point where he can't tell you for what you really are. That bothers me.' Rebecca gave her a look.  
  
'Draco knows what I really am, and nothing you say or do will change that.'  
  
'Really? Of course,' she said suddenly as if just remembering something. 'You, having no money to speak of, don't know how, addictive wealth is. Should Draco go off with you against our wishes, we will have him cut off from the family. I would rather,' she said over Rebecca's gasp of disbelief. 'That one of my nephews or nieces lead the family than my son who is with you. But remember what I said about wealth Weasley. How long do you think Draco will last? With no money, no power, no prestige. How long will he stay working for a living when he knows that all he has to do is drop you and he'll be welcomed back with all the rights due to him? Oh he's a stubborn lad, prideful, but it'll eat away at him until he just can't take it anymore. In five years, maybe ten, he'll have come back, and you'll be right back where you started from.' Rebecca started coldly into the eyes that Draco inherited.  
  
'Then those five or ten years will be enough.'  
  
'Will they? When every day you know that he's slipping further and further away from you? When every time he comes home from work, he looks at you with a little bit more hate? When he starts to despise you for taking all that is his away from him?' Narcissa paused, then dropped her voice down to an ominous whisper. 'And how will you feel, knowing that should Draco ever sire a child on you, he wont even have the option of coming home, that he will be tossed onto the street like so much trash.' Rebecca didn't say anything, her mind reeling from what the woman had said. Narcissa smiled thinly and nodding to herself, went back down the stairs, meeting Lucius at the bottom the staircase. She smiled serenely and led the way out of Hogwarts.  
  
  
  
I just love Narcissa Malfoy don't you? Oh so much bitchiness, three guesses on who I modelled her on Jay. No comment. Yeah, this chap is longer than usual, but hey, you asked I delivered. By the by, need challenge stats back from you, didn't keep a copy for myself, so asap k? Reviews needed, you know. Just being my best mate doesn't remove you from the obligation. *smirk* Sorry about the review thing, but funny don't you think? I think! Don't kill me. 


	15. A little relevation, confession and tran...

DISCLAIMER: Everything in this story, bar the plot itself and Rebecca Weasley, belong to J. K. Rowling. All praise Rowling.  
  
AUTHOR: ihadanepiphany  
  
Here we go, a bit of Hermione-battering, (verbal only) a bit of almost breakups a bit of…….read and find out! (Yes Jay I know that you know! Just in case in the off chance, the million to one hope that someone else might think to read this and get this far! Yes I know how bloody unlikely that is, but just in case! Yes I know im hopeless *smirk* But ya luv me anyway!)  
  
I'm not going to say it, lets just say that if you don't review, a bloody huge Rancor will be getting your address and the promise of lovely fresh meat! (Though to be honest Jay, it'll be cruel to the Rancor. So save the poor beast from having to face you and Emmot and review.  
  
Rebecca came down from the tower half-an-hour after Narcissa left. She wandered aimlessly through the corridors, eyes hard and cold. For some odd reason, her unsteered feet brought her to face the portrait that covered the door to the Gryffindor tower.  
  
While she was staring at it, trying to figure out how she got there, Hermione came up behind her.  
  
'Rebecca?' she asked carefully. The Slytherin turned to face her and she took an involuntary step backwards. Rebeccas eyes were as cold and hard as the steel that made up the suit of armour standing beside them, so filled with anger that they seemed alien, though Hermione knew them so well in both faces.  
  
'Gryffindor,' she spat. 'How nice to see you. Tell me, how much fun did you have, laughing at me?'  
  
'Huh?' Hermione stammered. 'I, I never laughed at you.'  
  
'Oh please, you and that Potter must've had the greatest laughs this year. Read all about it,' she called imitating a newspaper street vendor, though her voice never went above a hiss.  
  
'Rebecca,' Hermione said, getting more creeped out by the moment. 'What's wrong? Why are you like this?'  
  
'What's wrong?' Rebecca laughed shortly, a harsh sound devoid of mirth. 'You don't really need me to tell you that do you? After all, the only thing that's happened is what you were trying to warn us against.' Rebeccas voice nearly cracked at that point. Hermione felt a rush of pity for the broken-hearted girl.  
  
'Oh Rebecca, I'm so sorry,' she began. Rebecca cut her off with a sharp gesture.  
  
'I don't want your pity,' she hissed. 'Its like they said, I was trying to be what I'm not, now I finally see it and that's that.' Rebecca tilted her head and smiled slowly, coldly. 'But then, I guess that means you and I have something in common, eh Gryffindor?'  
  
'Rebecca I don't know what happened,' Hermione soothed. 'But maybe if you talked about it.'  
  
'After all, I was trying to be good enough to be with Draco and you're trying to be good enough to excuse your being here,' she went on, ignoring the other girls shocked gasp. 'But that's the difference lies, isn't it, Mudblood?'  
  
'Rebecca!'  
  
'I have realized my mistake, but you still labour under a delusion of grandeur.' Rebecca advanced slowly on the shaken Hermione, voice filled with disgusted contempt. 'To think that you consider yourself equal to us Purebloods. It makes me sick,' she spat venomously. 'To think that I've been breathing the same air as a Mudblood all this time. That I have to share a school with you is bad enough, but now you have the ignorance to think that you can possibly comprehend what is going on, that you think you can pity me!' Hermione stared at the Slytherin in dumbfounded shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing; she had never dreamed that this was the way Rebecca really felt. Against her will, two fat tears slid from her eyes and down her cheeks.  
  
'Aawww,' Rebecca jeered. 'Is the truth too much for the poor little Muggle- born wannabe to handle? Well you'd better get used to it Mudblood,' she snapped harshly. 'Cause every time I see you and every time you see me, you'll remember just what kind of sickening, disgusting kind of lowlife impostor you are.' Rebecca had stepped right up to the weeping girl, blue eyes boring into brown, her voice a low growl. Hermione broke and ran for it, catching Rebecca with a heavy slap on the way. Rebecca laughed cruelly, ignoring the blow. 'No matter how far you run Mudblood,' she called after the rapidly disappearing brown-haired girl. 'You cant run from the truth. What are you looking at?' she snapped at the Fat Lady, who shrank back into the depths of her picture.  
  
Smirking to herself, Rebecca made her way to the Slytherin common room. Now to tell Draco about their break-up, while she was still able to.  
  
Draco stared at his girlfriend, now ex.  
  
'But, huh, what, how?' he got a grip on himself. 'Why?' Rebecca looked at him.  
  
'Lets just say I've had a few home-truths drummed in.' Dracos eyes narrowed.  
  
'Mother,' he snarled. Rebecca nodded, not unkindly. 'What did she say to you?'  
  
'What I've been unable to say to myself,' she shot back. 'We don't have a future Draco, and the longer I stay with you the more I screw up yours.'  
  
'But Rebecca,' he said, reaching for her. She retreated, putting a large table between them. 'Why are you being like this?'  
  
'Like what? I'm just being me Draco.'  
  
'But what about us?'  
  
'What us? There's just you here and me there.' Rebeccas voice cracked. 'There is no longer any us.'  
  
'Don't say that!'  
  
'Cant take the truth, eh Malfoy?' Draco stared at her; he knew that she was trying to get him pissed off so that he'd walk off for good.  
  
'No, what I can't get is how you've changed so much in less than twelve hours.' He moved around the table, she moved as well, keeping the table between them. With a muttered curse, Draco vaulted the table to land beside her. He grabbed her arms to make her stay put. 'Now listen to me, I don't know what kind of poison my mother fed you and I really don't care. You are the only one I care about; I don't care about them, or the family, or the money or any of it. I couldn't care less if Neville bloody Longbottom ends up running the family.' Rebecca was silent, watching him with a kind of wretched hope. He stroked her face, brushing away the tears on her cheeks. 'Because as long as I'm with you, I don't care about anything or anyone else.' Rebecca bent her head, resting her forehead on his shoulder. Draco's hopes plummeted as her shoulders began to shake.  
  
'I'm so sorry,' he heard faintly. She lifted her head and Draco expected to hear the worst. 'I've been such a fool,' she said, smiling through her tears.  
  
'Huh?' he asked, thrown for a loop.  
  
'Can I have another chance?' she asked softly. Dracos grin threatened to split his face when he realized what she was saying.  
  
'Of course,' he laughed, kissing her. 'Of course, as many as you want.' Rebecca kissed him back, unable to believe that just a few minutes before she'd been trying to get rid of him.  
  
At that exact moment, a fourth year barged into the common room.  
  
'Draco,' he wheezed. Draco sighed and turned to him.  
  
'What is it?' he snapped, not exactly in the best of moods for interruptions.  
  
'It's Crab and, and Goyle,' the poor lad stammered, getting the full benefit of both Rebeccas and Dracos most pissed off glares. 'They're in the infirmary, got hit by the Whomping Willow.' Draco looked worriedly at Rebecca; they were after all his best friends.  
  
'Well of course you have to go,' she said, correctly guessing what he was about to say.  
  
'Thank you,' he said, kissing her. 'I'll be back as soon as I can.' He raced out of the common room, leaving an extremely happy Rebecca Weasley behind him.  
  
Rebecca looked around and went up to the Great Hall.  
  
No more than one hundred yards from the Hall, Rebecca started feeling very strange. She developed a fever between one step and the next, feeling the sweat pop out on her brow. She leaned on the wall, staring at the blocks of stone as they went in and out of focus. He could hear people shouting in the Great Hall, but like they were far away and muffled. She felt herself slid down the wall and the pain in her knees told her that she had fallen to the floor. It felt good to be able to rest.  
  
To anyone watching, it would have seemed like Rebecca was melting and shimmering as if in a heat haze. Then suddenly, between one heartbeat and the next a bright light shone out, so bright that the eye was dazzled. Then the light blinked out and where Rebecca Weasley had been lying, there was Ron Weasley.  
  
Harry came walking down the corridor, just as the light disappeared, giving thanks that his last test, Clairvoyance, was over and done with, and wondering where Hermione was. He walked right past Ron, then stopped, turned and walked back.  
  
'What the hell?' he muttered, unable to believe his eyes. 'I thought there was no cure.' He heard a group coming so he dragged Ron into an empty classroom, closing the door behind them.  
  
Ron groaned and sat up as Harry hunkered down beside him.  
  
'What am I doing in here? Why do I have such a headache? And what.' Ron paused; going starkly pale as the memories of what Rebecca did over the past year hit him like a steel toecap. 'What did I do?'  
  
'You're in here because I found you unconscious in the corridor, you have a headache because of the spell breaking I guess, and you kinda.' Harry coughed, wondering how to break it to him. 'Turned into Rebecca who joined Slytherin, flew all her tests, was really good at Potions and Charms and D.A.D.A. and, and, and.' Harry stalled. The horrified, sickened expression of realization on Rons face was a little too much to take in one sitting. He jumped backwards as Ron staggered to his feet, not wanting to be used for a punchbag.  
  
Ron somehow managed to reach a window, and was violently sick out of it.  
  
'How are you feeling?' Harry asked weakly when he pulled his head back in.  
  
'I can remember what she, it, I, we.' He gave up. 'I can remember everything that Malfoy and, she did! Everything!! In graphic detail!!! How the fuck do you think I feel?!' Ron shouted, banging his forehead against the window.  
  
'Really?' Harry asked, interested despite himself. Ron's head shot up suddenly.  
  
'Oh Gods,' he breathed. 'Hermione.'  
  
'Ron, what did she do?' Harry asked, as Ron raced past him. He chased after him, having no idea as to what was going on. He heard a yell and ran faster. He skidded around a corner to see Ron trying to get to his feet while Crookshanks was making a spirited attempt at clawing his face off, hissing and spitting up a storm.  
  
'I know Crookshanks,' he heard Ron say. 'I know, but where is she? I need to know so that I can apologize to her.' Crookshanks stepped backwards and sat on his haunches, seeming to consider this suggestion, tail whipping the air and staring murderously at Ron. He reached a decision, yowling at Ron before turning and running down the corridor, turning to yowl when they didn't get the hint.  
  
'I guess we follow,' Harry muttered. They did.  
  
'Crookshanks led them straight out the school and through the grounds.  
  
'Hey Harry,' Ron muttered as they hurried after the rapidly moving and impatient cat. 'Doesn't this place look familiar?'  
  
'Yeah, it's the way to the Whomping Willow,' Harry gasped, out of breath. And he thought the broom was enough exercise!  
  
'She wouldn't be in the Shrieking Shack would she?' Ron wondered.  
  
Crookshanks, as they had observed, led them to the Whomping Willow, Ron absently noticed the few skulls and bones still entangled in the branches. The cat weaved through the trees limbs to the trunk. He pressed the particular knot and the branches went limp and still as the tunnel opened.  
  
Ron stopped Harry as he stepped forward.  
  
'Harry, I'd rather it if I went alone,' he said. 'There are some things that need to be said and done. You understand, right?' Harry nodded.  
  
'What I can't understand is why left saying and doing them for so long.'  
  
'Yeah, me either,' Ron murmured, staring at the tunnel. 'Wish me luck.' He ducked through the passive branches and disappeared down the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack.  
  
'Come on Crookshanks.' Harry went back up to the school as the tree recovered, the cat emerging from under the angry boughs unscathed. He started whistling happily; at long last, all was well again. He grinned as he thought of the looks on Molly and Arthur Weasleys faces when they heard the news. And the twins, and Bill, Charlie and Percy and of course Ginny. He wondered absently if he should tell her, then dismissed it. It was Ron's news to give, if he and Hermione emerged from the Shrieking Shack in time to catch the train in two days time.  
  
Remembering the look on Hermiones face when she told him how she still felt for Ron and the look on Rons face before he went into the tunnel, Harry decided that it would be a very close thing.  
  
  
  
*smirk* Channeling is so much fun, doncha think?  
  
Well, everything after that is the wind-down, innit? Well almost. Yeah, your bits up next Jay, and yeah you'll be getting credit, I wouldn't dare keep it from you! I really loved writing this bit, the Hermione-Rebecca scene particularly and the Ron remembering was just plain fun! *snigger* Do review, I know that you like it Jay, but that dont put numbers up on my statistics screen. 


	16. A little making up and the end!

DISCLAIMER: Everything in this story, bar the plot itself and Rebecca Weasley, belong to J. K. Rowling. All praise Rowling.  
  
AUTHOR: ihadanepiphany  
  
Woo-Hoo! Someone else reviewed!! Yay ice-babe! Yeah you rule! *clears throat* anyway, carry on regardless and all that.  
  
Here is the scene that my mate Jay-Cee wrote, cos to be honest I couldn't write it, dunno why, I just couldn't. But she got it and rose magnificently to the challenge.  
  
So without further ado, the Make-up Scene by Jay-Cee  
  
Ssh!  
  
Ron entered the Shrieking shack and stopped to listen for any signs of Hermione. His protective instincts kicking in when he heard faint sounds of sobbing from upstairs. Gently he made his was up the rickety stairs and walked to the door of the bedroom, cold shivers running up his spine as he remembered what had taken place the last time he was there, absently he noted that the door was still broken. Entering the room his heart tugged at the sight of Hermione, knees pulled to her chest, her head resting on them sobbing softly on the bed, a scrap of red and yellow, could been seen as she clung to his old Gryffindor scarf. Tentatively he walked behind her and placed a hand gently on her shoulder  
  
'Leave me alone Harry' She whispered. Ron smiled softly and sat beside her.  
  
'Look at me 'Mione, I'm not Harry.'  
  
Hermione drew in a sharp breath and looked up, her eyes wide and blood shot from crying.  
  
'Who?' She whispered her voice shaking with emotion Ron put his hand to her face and wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb.  
  
'It's me 'Mione, your Ron.'  
  
Hermione shook her head, fresh tears starting 'You can't be he's gone, and h..h..he.' Hermione voice cracked and she let out a strangled sob 'He was never mine.'  
  
Ron stared at her before he pulled close to him.  
  
'Don't ever say that. I have always been your Ron and you have always been my 'Mione, we just didn't know till now.' He said into her hair.  
  
'I want to believe you, you feel so real.' She whispered.  
  
'It's me 'Mione.'  
  
When he received no reply he pulled back and looked at her. 'What do I have to do to make you believe me?'  
  
Hermione shook her head and smiled wryly. 'If you were Ron you'd know I'm never wrong.'  
  
He glared at her before he grabbed her head in both hands, forcing her to look in his eyes.  
  
'And I bet you think Ron wouldn't do this either.' He leaned forward and kissed her, her eyes flying open at the contact. She pushed him away and glared.  
  
'It is you.'  
  
'Well duh,' he replied 'Now let me tell you something 'Mione. Rebecca didn't mean what she said; she was angry at life and even if she did believe it I don't. 'Mione you have every right to be here, you are the smartest witch I have ever meet, book smarts or not, whether you are Muggle- born or Pureblood has no bearing on that. Look at me I'm Pureblood and I'm hopeless with most magic's. Never believe anyone who tells you any different.'  
  
Hermione stared at him, she rarely heard him speak so vehemently about anything before. She watched his eyes fill with worry and smiled softly.  
  
'When did you get so articulate?' she laughed  
  
'You...' Ron gaped aghast before he shook his head. 'You do know what I said is true.'  
  
'Yeah,' she nodded 'It's just hard to here things like that from someone you know.'  
  
'I can imagine,' he replied as he pulled her close.  
  
'How did you change back?' she asked after a few moments snuggled in his warm embrace.  
  
'I have no idea,' Ron replied kissing the part of her head below his chin 'But I'm glad I did.'  
  
'Me too,' she sighed snuggling closer, effectively knocking Ron backwards so that he lay on the bed, with her pillowed on his chest.  
  
'Hermione, does this mean you're my girlfriend now?' he asked anxiously. He held his breath until he received a sleepy response.  
  
'I don't sleep with just any man Ronald Weasley,' she muttered before yawning and falling asleep.  
  
'Night 'Mione,' he whispered before he tightened his arms around her and followed her into dreamland.  
  
From here to the end (the end, laugh or cry, both I think) is mine. Like the rest of the story bar that little scene that you just read, which I pointed out and why I'm pointing it out again I don't know……. Anyway! Read on!  
  
The End Is Nigh!!!  
  
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They were on the Hogwarts Express, just leaving the station outside Hogwarts. Ron was wedged between Ginny and Hermione, with the twins across from him, grinning madly and reaching out every now and then to punch him lightly, just to make sure that he really was there. They had decided not to tell Molly and Arthur Weasley. Bill Charlie and Percy were meeting them off the train and taking them home. Ron couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces. Hermione and Harry were going back to their respective sites of address, but were planning on visiting them quite often.  
  
Harry came in the door and clambered over everyone to get to his seat beside the window.  
  
'Anything strange and unusual occur during your foray to the bathroom?' Ron asked him, as the conversation quietened.  
  
'Does Crab and Goyle sitting in a booth all on their own and looking like kicked puppies count?' Harry replied, grinning.  
  
'I guess it does.' After a while Ron unglued himself from Hermione and Ginny, fought through the forest of arms and legs and fell out of the door. 'I shall return,' he cried, doing a passable impression of Sir Gavin.  
  
He moved up the carriages, to the booth he saw Draco slip into at the top of the train, taking something from his pocket on the way.  
  
Draco looked up as a knock came at the door. He stared silently as Ron Weasley stuck his head in.  
  
'Con I come in?' he asked. Draco didn't reply, just blinked slowly. 'Uh, okay then.' Ron stepped in and shut the door behind him, sitting down on the seat opposite Draco who just stared at him, expression unreadable. 'Rebecca wanted me to talk to you,' Ron said after a few moments. 'To get some things sorted out. She didn't want to leave, she had to. She felt that if she stayed with you, then she'd be harming your chance for the life you were born to, or something like that.' He sighed, not knowing how to make himself clear, in truth not knowing what he himself was going on about either. Draco stared stonily at him, waiting for him to leave. 'She doesn't want to be responsible for your not getting what is you due. She thought that by going away now.' He stopped. 'To be perfectly honest Draco, I really don't know what she was thinking of. All I know is that does love you but she couldn't stay.' He got up and held out his hand. In it was the ruby pendant heirloom that Draco had given Rebecca. Draco stared wordlessly at it for a few moments, then slowly took it out of Rons hand.  
  
'I'm really sorry Draco,' Ron murmured, before leaving.  
  
Draco stared at the silver and ruby necklace, knowing in his heart that she wasn't coming back. He let the sorrow and love rise up, then took it and threw it into a safe deep in the back of his mind and locked it tight, so that none of the feeling could escape. When he pocketed the pendant, his face, eyes, and thoughts were colder and harsher then they had ever been, like all the kinder aspects of his nature had been frozen and chipped off.  
  
Now at last he was a true Malfoy.  
  
Ron looked around at his family, once again outside in the garden having dinner. It was a scene like so many others that he remembered, he, not Rebecca. An owl from Dumbledore had arrived not an hour before, telling the Weasleys what he thought had happened to break the spell.  
  
Unknown to nearly all, there was an extra, hidden cruelty in the spell. Should any of those afflicted by the curse fall in love, true everlasting and undeniable love, and have that love reciprocated by another, the spell would break and the female would return to male. It was a last revenge, for not only would the male first lose his identity, but the female would lose her one chance at happiness. It was also the only way to break the spell and now the curse was lifted from the family forever. But Ron would carry the memories around in his head till the end of his days, and that alone, he confessed to Harry, was enough to make him wish that he had stayed female. But none but Harry and Hermione knew this; as far as everyone else was concerned Ron had no memories at all of Rebecca.  
  
He opened a box handed to him by Bill and pulled out something pink and lacy.  
  
'Oh very nice lads,' he said sarcastically, holding the underwear up as the rest of the Weasleys split their sides. 'Hey,' he cried as Ginny snatched it out of his hands.  
  
'Hmmm,' she said, examining the flimsy garments critically. 'They'll do I guess.'  
  
'Huh?' Fred gasped, staring at his baby sister, Bill Charlie, Percy, George, Ron and even Arthur doing likewise. Molly smiled slyly and winked at her daughter. 'Well?' Ginny asked defiantly. 'You think Ron's the only one who likes bras and thongs?'  
  
Laughter erupted again, Ron joining in, though he turned as red as his hair.  
  
The Weasleys spent most the night laughing and joking until as the moon sank, they turned in for bed.  
  
Molly hugged her youngest son tightly.  
  
'Welcome home Ron,' she whispered. 'Its so good to have you back.'  
  
'It's good to be back.'  
  
  
  
It's over! Omigod its finished! Celebrate good times come on!  
  
Maybe now I can do some studying *snigger* Just how likely is that? About 0, that about right? Close enough. I will see you guys anon, hopefully in a fic that makes a bit more sense and all that crap. Um, yeah, bye. 


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